After The War
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: After the war is over, things change for the people in Jericho. Completed.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho, the characters, or anything related to the show.

Main Pairings: Jake/Emily, Jake/Heather, Stimi

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The Second Civil War was over, and the Allied States of America had fallen. The war had lasted six months, and it had been a month since Jake had returned to Jericho. Everything was slowly returning to normal. The dead had been grieved for, but Jake was still grieving over his father and Bonnie Richmond.

Jake's grief had been on the backburner because of everything that had occurred. Now the grief was back in full force. He battled daily to push back the depression he had been experiencing over Johnston and Bonnie's deaths. Emily had been a distraction before to get over his grief, but not even that was working anymore. He loved Emily, but all he felt was sadness. He wasn't sure how their relationship was going, and that wasn't good. Emily was seven months pregnant with a little boy. She had gotten pregnant the night before Jake had gone off to war.

Stanley and Mimi were still recovering from Bonnie's death. They were now happily married and trying for a baby. The couple couldn't wait to become parents. A child would help fill the holes in their hearts. Mimi still occasionally cried for the teenager that had helped to save her life.

The Hawkins family had decided to stay in Jericho. Robert had quit the CIA, choosing to spend time with his family. Robert hadn't know before, but his wife had been pregnant with their third child before he and Jake went to Cheyenne. He and Darcy now had a six week old daughter named Grace Elyse Hawkins. Jake was the godfather and adored the little girl.

"Jake, come down here," Gail called to her oldest son. She had been cleaning the house while Emily rested. Emily and Jake were staying with her until the baby was older. They had decided they needed help with their son.

"I'm coming," Jake called. He pushed his depression back, just like he did every day, and went down the steps.

"I found a letter for you from your father," Gail informed her son. She had already read her letter, and had cried over it. The letter had been written a few weeks before her husband's death.

Jake stared in shock and took the letter. He sat down on one of the steps, and began to read it.

_Jake, I know this is stupid, but go with it._ _The world hasn't been the same since September, and who knows what's going to happen. I remember when you were born. Your mother had just experienced twenty-three hours of horrible labor, and was exhausted. We had been surprised to learn about you, Kiddo. Your mother was so excited about your birth. _

_I don't know if we ever told you this and don't mention this to her, but your mother had two miscarriages before you were born. Kiddo, we were so happy to have you. You kept us up at night for weeks, but we didn't care._

_I remember singing one song to get you to sleep when nothing else worked. I used to sing it to you when you had nightmares, but that stopped when I became mayor. I'm so sorry I became a workaholic. I'm so proud of you, Jake. I love you so much. You've become the man I always knew you could be. Johnston Jacob Green Senior. _

Jake finished reading the letter and broke. As his sobs echoed in hall, Gail sat down next to her son and began rubbing circles across his head.

Life after the war had been bad, but things were slowly starting to improve. Who knew what was going to happen next?

TBC

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The next update will probably be soon. I made a promise not to start any more WIPs until I finished the one I had, but I'm going to try and finish a few in the next few days.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho.

* * *

Jake continued to cry and Gail stayed with her son. She tried to hold back her own tears. Johnston's death had devastated her. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Jake and Eric were going through. After returning to town, Gail had learned that in those anger-fueled days after Johnston's funeral and burial, Jake and Eric had gotten into a knock-drown, drag out fight on the front lawn.

Not to mention the fact that Jake had blocked his father's viewings and burial out of his mind. He couldn't remember them at all. It was post-traumatic according to one of the doctors at the clinic.

"I miss Dad so much," Jake sobbed to his mother. He hadn't cried this much in a long time. He had tried to move on from his father's death (and later, Bonnie's), but it was so hard.

"I know you do, Baby," Gail replied. She struggled to choke down the sobs. Now was not the time. She had to comfort her son.

Jake leaned against his mother. "How'd you deal when Grandma Kathryn died?" he asked her. He had been twelve when Gail's mother had died.

Gail sighed. "I fought with your aunt. Remember that? Claire and I couldn't stop fighting. Your brother was there with us and ended up bolting to the bedroom to cry." She didn't like to think about her mother's death.

Jake nodded. Grandma Kathryn's death had been expected for months, but it still hurt to think about it. "I wonder what Bonnie would think about potentially becoming an aunt," he said.

Gail wondered why he had changed the subject from Johnston to Bonnie, but didn't ask. "I think she would be thrilled. She'd spoil them so much."

Jake agreed. He knew that Eric couldn't wait to be an uncle. Neither could Stanley. Emily and Jake had fought about the baby's godparents in the month since he had returned, and they still hadn't come to a decision.

Gail stayed with her crying son, but his sobs eventually died down. "I'm going to work," Jake said. He was sheriff again.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to me?" Emily asked him, coming down the steps. She had heard Jake's cries and decided to let Gail deal with it.

Jake sighed. "Bye, Em. I'll see you later. Love you," he said. Jake and Emily kissed, and then the sheriff was out the door.

Darcy Hawkins continued to rock Grace back and forth. Sam and Allison were in school and Rob was working, so she was alone with her youngest. Darcy still couldn't believe that she had a third child. Grace had unexpected, but so were most babies these days. Jericho, like most of America, was experiencing a baby boom. Pre-war babies were just arriving and post-war babies wouldn't come for months. "I love you," Darcy whispered to her daughter. The baby always took a long time to fall asleep. Grace Hawkins only fell asleep if she was rocked or her daddy sang to her. Allison had been able to get her sister to fall asleep only once.

The Hawkins family was complete. She and Rob had decided that a few days after Grace's birth. Darcy had thought about trying again for a baby to even things up, but had decided against it. Everything had improved for her since the bombs, something Darcy never though she'd say.

Mimi Richmond waited impatiently for the results of her pregnancy test. Stanley was outside and she was grateful for that. "Please be positive," she whispered. She and Stanley had been trying for five months to have a baby. The timer on the sink dinged, signaling she could look at the test. Mimi felt a mixture of fear and excitement before looking at the test.

Stanley was outside working when his wife came barreling out of the house. "What's up?" he asked. Mimi didn't come running out of the house for no reason. Maybe something bad had happened. Things had been going so well since the end of the war.

Mimi smiled. "I'm pregnant," she told him. The positive pregnancy test had thrown her, even though she had suspect.

Stanley stared at her in shock for a moment and then began kissing his wife. "I love you so much," he whispered. He couldn't believe he was about to be a father. This moment ranked right up there with Bonnie's birth and his wedding to Mimi.

Mimi smiled at him after they pulled apart. "I love you too, Stanley Richmond." She began to cry out of happiness.

Stanley laughed. "We need to get you a doctor's appointment. I can't believe we're having a baby, Mimi." It was exciting news, but still surreal.

"I'll make an appointment as soon as possible," Mimi said. In a few months, she would be a mother. That was something she'd never thought she get. Who knew auditing a farmer would lead to love?

Eric Green tried not to watch his fiancé as they cleaned up before everyone came in. They were waiting for news on when they could adopt. Mary and Eric had chosen to adopt because there were so many kids without parents. Eric had decided not to mention the fact that he was scared that pregnancy would kill Mary. April's death had really messed him up.

"What are you looking at?" Mary asked. She loved Eric, but wanted to get her work done.

"You," Eric answered. He felt guilty thinking about it, but he loved Mary more than he had ever loved April.

Mary rolled her eyes. "You're so lame, Eric." He really was sometimes. She wondered how April had ever put up with it, but let that thought go. Mary still felt guilty for ruining Eric and April's marriage, even if it had been on the verge of collapse.

"But you love me anyway," Eric pointed out. He couldn't wait to marry her. Since the bar was Bailey's, she was going to be Mary Bailey-Green.

"Yes I do," Mary admitted. Eric was the love of her life.

Life had returned to normal for Jericho citizens since the end of the war, but they still had some issues to overcome.

TBC

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The next update will most likely be tomorrow. I might have another storyline to add in, but I'm not sure yet.

Please review. I want to know what you think and it helps me to become a better author.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho, the characters, anything related to the show, or Styx.

* * *

Heather Lisinski hated herself sometimes. It was stupid to be in love with Jake Green. He was dating Emily and having a baby with her. For some weird reason, both of them seemed really unhappy. They only seemed happy when they talked about the baby.

"Why do they seem so unhappy?" Heather asked Mary. It had been a day since the Richmonds had learned of Mimi's pregnancy, but the couple had decided not to tell anyone yet.

Mary sighed. "I've lived in this town my entire life, Heather. Emily, Jake, and Stanley grew up together. They played all the time. According to Stanley and Eric, Emily is very manipulative and controlling. Emily and Jake were off and on until he left Jericho. They've had some bad fights. They love each other, but I don't think they're in love with each other anymore. The baby complicates things. Jake and Emily love their son, but they're so unhappy. Emily used to cheat on Jake, but he never said anything about it. I don't even know how they can even be in the same room together," she explained.

Heather stared at Mary in shock. "Emily used to cheat on Jake?" she questioned. She didn't see Emily as someone who would cheat.

Mary nodded. "She cheated on him with a lot of other guys. Jake always forgave her though. I have no idea if she cheated on Roger, but it wouldn't surprise me," she replied. Mary thought that Emily had taken advantage of a vulnerable Jake in the aftermath of Johnston's death, and Eric had agreed with her.

"I'm eating dinner with the Greens tonight," Heather said, changing the subject. Gail had invited her to dinner, telling her that she cooked too much anyway.

"Eric and I are coming too," Mary said. Gail had reluctantly accepted her into the family, but there was still some tension between the two.

"What are we going to do about Bonnie's old room?" Mimi asked her husband. He had been reluctant to go through her things, so her room was still intact.

"I don't know," Stanley answered truthfully. He was slowly moving on from his little sister's death, but it still hurt him. Stanley didn't want to say anything to Mimi, but he still heard her crying sometimes. Mimi hadn't fully recovered from Bonnie's death either.

"We can decide later," Mimi assured him. She didn't want to push Stanley. There was also a chance of miscarriage, so it was better to wait until after the twelfth week.

"I love you," Stanley said. He couldn't believe he was so lucky to meet Mimi Clark. He was thrilled for the debt that had gotten him audited.

Mimi sighed happily. "I love you too, Stanley. But we have to go to Gail's house for dinner," she reminded him.

Stanley laughed. "Mimi, I remember. Gail will probably be giving Emily some advice, so try and listen," he said.

"In seven months, we're going to have a baby here to keep us up all night," Mimi said happily. She had gone to the clinic earlier, and the doctor had taken a blood test. He had told her that she was most likely pregnant.

"I can't wait," Stanley told her. At least he and Jake would have another thing in common.

"Hello, Gracie and Ally," Robert said to his daughters. Allison was holding her younger sister and watching TV.

Allison rolled her eyes. Her dad could be extremely cheesy sometimes. "Dad, we're trying to watch TV. Grace doesn't want to be bothered."

Robert stared at his oldest daughter. "Ally, I'm pretty sure that Grace is sleeping. You're the one who doesn't want to be bothered."

"I'm one of the few people who can get her to sleep," Allison pointed out. Her dad played Styx to get the baby to sleep, and it sometimes worked.

"Go put her in her bassinet," Darcy told Allison. Grace had cried non-stop all day until Allison had come from school. Darcy had burst into sobs and handed the baby to her oldest child. There was only so much crying a person could take.

"Do you want me to take her?" Robert asked. He wanted to spend some time with his Gracie before she woke up crying at midnight.

"I'll do it," Allison insisted. Her dad would probably wake the baby up.

Robert laughed as Allison headed in their bedroom to put Grace in her bassinet. "What are we having for dinner tonight, Dee?"

Darcy glared at her husband. "Grace cried all day. You're going to get take-out, Rob. I'll cook spaghetti tomorrow."

"Fair enough," Robert agreed. He hated getting in trouble with his wife. It never leads to anything good.

"I want Chinese," Sam informed his father. He wasn't hungry for pizza and neither was Allison.

"I want chicken wings," Allison said. She had such a bad craving for chicken wings. Chinese had been off the menu for her after the food had made her mother's morning sickness kick in.

"I think we can go for something from Bailey's," Darcy agreed. She had been about to suggest something else, but chicken wings sounded really good.

"I'll go get it," Robert promised. He had a craving for bar food too. Greasy food was always good. Robert kissed his wife and then left for Bailey's.

Mimi and Stanley had just arrived at Gail, Jake, and Emily's house, but they were still waiting on Mary, Eric, and Heather. Gail was making spaghetti for her guests.

"Tell your son to stop kicking me," Emily complained to Jake. The little boy kicked all the time.

"Can't control that," Jake sing-songed. He had started to feel a little better after his breakdown earlier, but there was still some sadness. There was a slim chance he was going to go see Bonnie and Johnston's graves.

Emily rolled her eyes. "He only listens to you," she snapped. Pregnancy hormones were driving her up the wall.

Jake sighed. "Don't yell at me, Em. I can't control what the baby does. He's living in you."

"Don't fight tonight," Gail warned her son and his girlfriend. She was secretly glad that Jake hadn't acted on his impulse to propose to Emily after seeing her pregnant. Gail had sent Eric and Stanley to talk him out of it, and that had surprisingly worked.

"Sorry," Jake apologized. He and Emily had been fine for the first two weeks after his return, but now they did nothing but fight.

Emily sighed. "Listen to her, mama's boy," she taunted. She was so glad her pregnancy let her get away with this. For some weird reason, her relationship with Jake got bad after awhile. They fought a lot. Emily Sullivan was a different person around Jake Green, and vice versa.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Emily, shut up," he hissed. She was driving him up the wall. Jake couldn't wait until his son was born.

The door opened. Eric, Mary, and Heather stepped in just as Emily kicked Jake as hard as she could. It wasn't that hard because she couldn't even see her feet. "There's my revenge," Emily whispered.

"Leave me alone," Jake angrily told her. What was up with Emily? She was ten times worse when she was pregnant.

"They're fighting again," Gail informed her son. Eric didn't react. He had been expecting his brother and Emily to be fighting again. Eric liked Emily except for when she and Jake were together.

"I bet you ten dollars we'll have a loud fight tonight," Eric said to Gail, Mary, and Heather. Stanley and Mimi looked uncomfortable at the table as Emily and Jake traded insults back and forth.

"I bet you thirty dollars Emily throws something," Gail challenged. She had witnessed many fights between Emily and Jake that had resulted in Emily throwing something.

"Deal," Eric agreed. It had always been a lot of fun to bet on how bad Emily and Jake's fights would get. He was glad that the "Emily and Jake" bets were back.

As everyone sat down at the dinner table to get, no one knew just how bad the Jake/Emily fight would get.

TBC

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The next update will probably be on Sunday. I'm helping my grandma move tomorrow, and I won't be home.

Please review. Reviews help me to become a better author.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho, the characters, or anything else related to the show.

* * *

Everyone around Jake and Emily felt uncomfortable as their fight began to escalate. "You are so selfish," Emily shrieked after dinner was finally over. Stanley rolled his eyes, while the rest of the people at the table tried to ignore them.

Jake just stared at his pregnant girlfriend. "You're the selfish one, Emily! I've done nothing but help the people around here," he told her. What was wrong with her?

"You've pretty much ignored me since you came back from the war," Emily cried. All Jake cared about was the war, Jericho, and the baby. Why didn't she get any attention?

"I've been trying to deal with everything bad that's happened, Emily. I'm still trying to get over my father and Bonnie," Jake shot back. Why did Emily always have to be so selfish?

"You bolted when Chris died. Why don't you do it again?" Emily snapped. Jake was just driving her up the wall lately.

Jake was furious. "I'm responsible now, Emily. Why are you still so irresponsible?" Why was Emily insisting on fighting now? They were going to be parents in two months.

"I am not irresponsible, Jake. You're so selfish that you're turning everything around on me," Emily shot back. For some weird reason, this fight had brought back the fight that the two had had after high school graduation. That had been a really bad fight.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Heather whispered to Gail. It seemed like the fight had been going on further and was only getting worse.

"It's best to leave them alone when they're fighting because everything will only get worse," Gail explained. She had gotten in the middle of some really bad Emily and Jake fights and knew firsthand what could happen if someone interfered.

"I'm fully expecting Emily to throw something soon," Eric whispered to Mary. She laughed, but agreed with him. Emily and Jake had had a fight in the bar shortly after Eric and April's wedding that had ended with Emily throwing a napkin at her boyfriend.

"What is wrong with you?" Jake angrily asked Emily. He understood that she was pregnant, but the pregnancy was no excuse for this. Plus, she had acted this way before in their relationship.

"Nothing," Emily said. The baby was kicking up a storm, probably in response to the fight that was occurring.

"I'm really uncomfortable right now," Stanley whispered to Mimi. Mimi laughed, but she was also uncomfortable. She had never witnessed a Jake and Emily fight before.

"It'll be over soon," Gail assured them. Jake and Emily fought a lot, but their fights weren't that long.

"When?" Mary questioned. This fight had been going on for a long time, and she was surprised that _anyone _could fight this long.

"I'm pretty sure they'll wear out in ten minutes," Gail claimed. She knew that her son would get tired soon, and Emily was exhausted because of her pregnancy.

"I bet you they'll be done in less than five minutes," Eric whispered. Betting on Emily and Jake was way too much fun. He hoped his older brother found someone else to love that didn't treat him this way. Emily had never been good for Jake. He knew that Heather was in love with Jake, and he hoped those two became a couple eventually.

"I'll take that bet," Stanley agreed. He might as well have fun when Emily and Jake continued their fight.

"I hate you," Emily screeched at Jake. She threw her glass of water in Jake's face. Emily couldn't stand to be around Jake when he was her boyfriend.

"Does that count as throwing something?" Eric whispered. He was curious and didn't know if that constituted winning the bet.

"That's nice, Emily! I'm not even in love with you anymore," Jake cried. There was silence around the table. The ones who had bet were exchanging money.

"I think this a break-up fight," Mary whispered to Heather. This was a really bad time to break-up with someone, but it was obvious what was happening.

"I think you're right," Heather whispered back. She felt sad for Jake and his and Emily's unborn son, but maybe she had a chance with Jake now.

"I can't believe you said that," Emily said. She felt the same way, but now wasn't the time to say it. That would be selfish.

"I guess we're done. We've moved on," Jake replied. He had dated Emily off and on since they were fourteen. He had never really expected the final break-up, but this was it.

"We're done for good," Emily said. She was in shock. She had been feeling unhappy with Jake for a long time now, but the pregnancy had been raising her spirits.

"What are we going to do about the baby?" Jake asked. He was aware this was not a conversation to be held in public, but he didn't care at this moment.

"I think we can be friends who raise a baby together. We can share custody," Emily explained. She felt really happy for the first time in a long time.

"I like that," Jake agreed. He and Emily were better off as friends anyway. They would both move on eventually, although he still liked Heather. She had probably moved on though.

"You were my first love. I'll always love you, but our relationship doesn't work," Emily told him. She really felt better now.

Jake sighed. This break-up was a good thing. "I agree, Emily."

"I'll move out tomorrow," Emily decided. She wasn't going back to The Pines, but would probably move into one of the apartments that were for rent.

"You don't have to go tomorrow, Em. Stay for a little while," Jake encouraged. He would sleep on the couch so Emily would have his comfortable bed for a little while.

"You're always welcome here," Gail explained to Emily. She felt horrible about the fact that the baby wouldn't have two married parents, but Emily and Jake just didn't fit.

"Thanks. I'll stay for a little while, but I won't make any promises," Emily told them. She wondered about Roger for the first time in months. What if he was dead?

"We're going to go now," Eric explained. Dinner seemed a little awkward now that Emily and Jake had broken up. At least he was right about Emily throwing something. She tended to get violent when she was angry.

"See you tomorrow," Jake called to his brother as he and Mary got up to leave. Heather, Stanley, and Mimi followed a few minutes later.

"Thanks for dinner," Mimi said to Gail. The spaghetti had tasted really good. She hoped her morning sickness didn't kick in when she and Stanley got home.

"You're welcome," Gail answered. She loved Mimi like a daughter. Gail was glad that Stanley had found his soul mate. He and Mimi fit together so well. Stanley and Mimi had already asked her to be any one of their future children's grandmother because neither of them had parents anymore. Gail had cried with agreeing. She hoped that the couple had a baby soon.

"I'm so sorry I threw something at you," Emily apologized. She hadn't felt badly about throwing anything when she and Jake were together, but now she did. Her rational side had finally returned.

"It's okay, Em. Really," Jake assured her. It was classic Emily to throw something when she got mad at him. He forgave her for the throwing of things, just like he had forgiven her for cheating on him multiple times.

"I'm starving," Emily declared. She had just eaten spaghetti, but her appetite had returned. This pregnancy was driving her up the wall. At least Jacob had stopped kicking her so much.

Jake laughed. He had only been back a month, but Emily's pregnancy cravings were off the wall. He couldn't wait until his son was born. Johnston Jacob Green III would be loved very much.

As Jake and Emily looked in the kitchen for some snacks, they didn't think about their break-up. They had been broken up for a long time and just hadn't realized it. They were happy for the first time in a long time.

Both were free to move on and be happy with someone else. They just didn't know who yet.

TBC


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything else related to the show.

* * *

Three weeks later, everything finally started to return to normal. Emily had moved into an apartment, and she and Jake were getting along better than they ever had before. "We're actually better friends now than we were before we started dating the first time," Emily explained to Heather.

"Why did you two fight so often?" Heather questioned. She was still curious because Emily and Jake were getting along better than they had when Jake had first returned to town.

Emily smiled. "We didn't fit, Heather. Everything that happened last year between us was probably a mistake. The only good thing we ever did in our relationship was conceive this baby," she explained. Her entire relationship with Jake, minus the baby, _had _been a mistake.

Heather couldn't believe that. "You two were never really happy?" That just seemed really weird, even though Mary had given her a rundown on the Emily/Jake relationship only a few weeks ago.

Emily nodded. "We weren't that happy at all. I'm not sure if you know, but I cheated on Jake multiple times. He always found out, but he forgave me. My infidelity hurt him though. We didn't fight for a few weeks after I cheated on him. He even caught me in bed with another guy." That had been the moment Emily had realized how much she had truly hurt Jake.

"Why did you two keep getting back together?" Heather wondered. She knew that she was probably asking too many questions, but really didn't care.

Emily sighed. "It was safe and normal. We loved each other and thought our relationship could work. Everything fell apart on us for good after Mayor Green and Bonnie's deaths, the war, and the things that occurred in between." There was a pause. "When are you going to tell Jake that you're in love with him?" she asked.

Heather could only gape at the pregnant teacher. "What are you talking about?" she tried. She wondered if everyone saw through her. She hoped Jake didn't know about anything.

Emily laughed. "Heather, you liked him before the Jericho-New Bern battle. It's obvious that you are now in love with him," she explained.

Heather struggled not to bolt. This was an uncomfortable conversation, considering the fact that Emily was pregnant with Jake's baby. "I can't tell him," she finally got out. Heather was irrationally nervous right now.

"Yes, you can," Emily assured her. She had known that she hadn't had Jake's full heart even after Johnston's death. Emily didn't know if Jake felt the same way about Heather, but she knew that he had feelings for her.

"I can't," Heather insisted. Jake would probably laugh at her and tell her that he was still moving on from Emily.

"Heather, tell him soon. I promise you that Jake Green has feelings for you," Emily encouraged. Setting up her ex-boyfriend and best friend was kind of weird, but Emily would deal with it. She would love for Heather to become Jacob's stepmother. He would be loved by all three (and hopefully four, if Emily found someone.).

"I think that you should never knock me up again," an exhausted Darcy told her husband. Grace wasn't crying as much as she did before, but she had still woken them up three times the night before.

* * *

Robert laughed. "Dee, that's what you said after Sam was born and look what happened," he pointed out. He didn't point out that she had also said that same thing after Allison's birth.

Darcy glared at him. "Grace is our last baby, Rob. It'd be nice to have another boy, but three kids are enough," she said. Allison, Sam, and Grace were now living in an America that had been changed. Poor Grace would never know what America had been like before the bombs in September 2006. Of course, the world had been different since September 2001, but September 2006 had changed everything. Thinking that way led to bad thoughts, however. All babies born after 2006 would never know what America had been like before. At least Allison and Sam had been able to experience that for a little while.

Rob agreed with that. "Our family's perfect," he agreed. He couldn't imagine his life without Darcy or the kids. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been before to let his job interfere in his marriage.

Darcy smiled. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you," Rob replied. He was so glad that he had married Darcy. She and the kids were the most important people in his life.

* * *

"What should we name the baby?" Mimi asked Stanley. She and her husband were watching TV because their work was done for now. The two were going to leave for an ultrasound in ten minutes. Mimi and Stanley had learned she was five weeks pregnant after the doctor had confirmed her pregnancy. Now she was eight weeks in, and Mimi was having an ultrasound. She seemed to have gained more weight than she had expected.

"We could name a boy after our fathers or a girl after Bonnie or our mothers," Stanley said. He really liked the idea of honoring the people they had loved.

Mimi sighed. "I like that idea," she decided. Her mother had been named Rowan. Stanley's mother had been named Isabelle. Both were really pretty names.

"What are we going to do about cribs and everything else?" Mimi asked. She hadn't thought of that until just now.

"I still have Bonnie's baby stuff," Stanley explained sadly. He had put it in storage after his little sister got older, never expecting to meet someone himself to have babies with. He had been devoted to raising Bonnie and just dating random women.

"Bonnie would love if we used her stuff," Mimi said, struggling not cry. Bonnie would have been thrilled about becoming an aunt.

* * *

"Mom, I'm fine," Jake insisted even as he sneezed. He had caught a cold a few days earlier. He had felt so bad earlier that he had called off of work, and was now being babied by Gail.

"Johnston Jacob Green Junior," Gail warned, trying not to smile. Jake started to get whiny when he was sick, something he had inherited from Johnston.

"Sorry," Jake apologized. He felt like crap. The only time he was able to breathe right was when he smelled the spices in the cupboard. He continued sneezing. The only part of the cold he liked was the end of it, along with the hoarse voice. The last time he had gotten sick like this had been after the car accident with Stanley and Mimi.

"Go back to bed," Gail told him. She was sick of Jake trying to get up and watch TV in the living room.

"Fine," Jake sulked. He reluctantly went up the steps and returned to his room. He fell asleep. He began dreaming about his father and Bonnie.

When he awoke, Gail was making dinner in the kitchen. "How was your nap?" she asked.

"I dreamt about Dad and Bonnie," he admitted. Lately, he had been having nightmares about his father's death. It was bad enough that he still saw his father dying every time he entered the Richmond kitchen. One particular day, Mimi had banned him from the kitchen, claiming that this probably wasn't healthy for Jake. Gail had agreed, so Jake hadn't entered the kitchen in three days.

Gail sighed. "Oh, Baby. I think you should see a therapist. I know you don't want to, but therapy can be really helpful. I think you need the help, Jake. Please try," she pleaded.

Jake thought it over for a few minutes. A lot of people probably needed therapy after what had happened, but it seemed like a good idea. "I'll think about it," he told his mother before he sneezed again.

"That's all I ask," Gail replied. Therapy would be beneficial to Jake. She didn't know why she hadn't thought about it before. She should have insisted Jake go into therapy after Johnston's death because of those forgotten days where he couldn't remember the service and burial, but Gail had been wrapped up in her own grief at the time. That's why she had bolted to the ranch and then to her sister's.

* * *

"Where are we planning on having the wedding?" Mary asked her fiancé. She and Eric were trying to plan a small wedding, but since Eric was the son of one of the most beloved mayors in Jericho, it didn't look like that was going to happen.

"In my par…Mom's backyard?" Eric asked. He had planned the big wedding with April, and that marriage really hadn't turned out that entirely well. Eric had willingly asked Jake to be his best man this time because he and his older brother had become closer. Jake had agreed, excited about the possibility of writing his own speech. He was worried about not being able to top the speech that Gail had written for him before.

"I like that," Mary declared. They could get away with a small wedding that way. Only Jake, Gail, Emily, Heather, Stanley, and Mimi were on the guest list so far. Not many more people were going to be added.

"Are we sure we can plan this wedding for a month from now?" Eric questioned. He and Mary wanted to get married fast so they could adopt.

For once, things were going the right way for the residents of Jericho.

TBC


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

"I can't believe it," Mimi said in shock. The ultrasound had gone well for the couple.

"Neither can I," Stanley replied. He loved his wife, but the news had been unexpected.

"I can't believe it twins," Mimi told her husband. When the ultrasound had revealed two babies instead of one, the couple had been completely and totally shocked.

"We have to get another one of everything," Stanley pointed out. Raising two newborns was going to be hard.

"We're going to have two babies in seven months," Mimi said. She and Stanley had been planning on having several kids, but they had never expected twins.

"We can deal with this," Stanley assured his wife. Twins couldn't be that hard, could they?

Mimi nodded. "Of course we can deal with this." She was scared, but didn't want to admit that to her husband. Twins would be a lot to handle.

There was a slight pause. "You're panicking, right?" Stanley asked. He hoped he wasn't the only one.

"I'm panicking," Mimi admitted. She was so glad that she wasn't the only one.

"I am happy about this though," Stanley informed his wife. He couldn't wait to become a father, especially to twins.

Mimi smiled. "I'm extremely excited about the fact that we're having twins, Stanley. My grandmother was a twin and so was her grandmother, so it runs on my side of the family."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jake had been thinking about going to see a therapist for less than a hour, and had made his decision. "I'm going to go into therapy," he told his mother.

Gail just hugged her sick son. "I know this is a big risk for you, but I'm glad you decided to take it, Jake."

"I feel like crap," Jake said. He was freezing one minute, hot the next, and sometimes he was a mixture of both. Being hot and cold at the same time was a little annoying.

Gail felt his forehead. "You have a fever. I'm going to give you some medicine."

"Mom, I don't need medicine," Jake complained, even though he knew it was useless. Gail went into overprotective mode whenever anyone in her family got sick.

"You will take it or go to the clinic," Gail warned. She knew Jake didn't like going to the hospital and her ploy would work.

"Fine. But I don't want medicine," Jake whined. He hated being sick. Since he had been a teenager, Jake had suffered from migraines so bad that led to him throwing up. He had had a migraine for the first time in years right after his father had lost the election. Gail had been with him until Johnston came home just in time for nausea part of the migraine.

"Johnston Jacob Green Junior," Gail warned. Jake could be so stubborn sometimes. He rolled his eyes and reluctantly took the medicine.

"I'm going back to bed now," he announced and slowly made his way to his room. He fell asleep and continued to dream about Johnston.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hello, Princess Gracie," Allison cooed to her little sister. She adored Grace and loved helping her mother take care of the baby. The now nine week old little girl clearly had her own personality.

"You spoil her," Rob observed. He didn't mind since he also spoiled Gracie, but Allison had grown really attached to her little sister, something she hadn't even done after Sam's birth.

"She deserves to be spoiled," Darcy seriously informed her husband. All of their kids deserved to be spoiled, but Gracie was the baby of the family. Of course she was spoiled.

Rob laughed. "That she is. Are you going to give your little sister a bath?" he asked Allison. She nodded, happy at the job that her father had given her.

"I want a little brother," Sam whined. He was tired of being the only boy. He loved being an older brother, but he wished that he had a younger brother.

Despite the fact that they had agreed three kids were enough, Darcy wouldn't mind another little boy. They would have two boys and two girls then. What if there was another girl though? Rob was having the same thoughts as his wife.

Sam followed his two sisters in the bathroom so he could watch Allison giving Grace a birth. Rob and Darcy sat down at the kitchen table to talk.

"I know we've been saying that three kids are enough, but I would love it if we had another son," Darcy told her husband.

"What if we have another daughter?" Rob asked, pointing out the obvious. He wouldn't mind if they had another daughter, but another son would be nice.

"Then we love the three daughters and one son we have," Darcy replied. She couldn't believe that she and her husband were seriously thinking about having another baby only nine weeks after Grace's birth.

"But it's only been nine weeks since Gracie was born," Rob said. Two babies at once would probably be really hard.

Darcy thought about that for a second. "I think I have a plan. If I get pregnant again, we'll deal with it. If I don't get pregnant again, that's fine. If it happens, it happens."

"I like that plan," Rob agreed. If Darcy did get pregnant again, they were meant to have four kids. If it didn't happen again, that was okay. Three kids would be enough for them if that happened. Four kids would be hard, but they'd get through it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We don't have a very huge guest list," Mary told Eric. She would be happy with a small wedding, but less than twenty people was just a little sad.

"I like it that way," Eric confessed. At least there would be no bar to go to for people to get drunk. Mary was going to close the bar on the day of the wedding, despite being open all night in the days following the bombs.

"So you only want your mom, Emily, Jake, Heather, Mimi, Stanley, and the Hawkins family?" she questioned. The guest list was amazingly small.

Eric nodded. "We don't need a fancy wedding, Mare. We'll have more fun if there's less people."

"Let's do it," Mary agreed. Only nine people at the wedding would cut down on everything. That sounded nice.

"Now let's go over the list of kids we can adopt," Eric said. There were tons of kids to choose from, so it was a difficult process. Mary cried every single time she read the history of the kid.

"Let's wait until tomorrow," Mary told him. She didn't want to cry tonight, especially since she was so happy.

"Let's go watch TV," Eric decided. He and Mary went into the living room and switched the channel to a cartoon. The news lately just seemed so sad, even with the war over.

"I can't wait to become your wife," Mary whispered. Becoming Mrs. Bailey-Green would be one of the happiest moments of her life besides finally getting the bar.

"I can't wait to become your husband," Eric whispered back. He kissed Mary, and a few minutes later the two began to make love.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Heather, go for it. Tell Jake how you feel," Emily encouraged. She had been trying to convince Heather to tell Jake that she loved him, but Heather wasn't really buying it.

"You're pregnant with his child," Heather insisted. Why was Emily pushing her and Jake together?

Emily rolled her eyes. "Heather, I would be thrilled if you became Jacob's stepmother. I don't mind. Jake and I are no longer in love with each other. You two are perfect for each other."

"You just broke up. I'm not hitting on him," Heather argued. Why wouldn't Emily accept that?

Emily rolled her eyes again. "We broke up three weeks ago. He's sick right now, so I wouldn't hit on Jake just yet. I promise that you won't get rejected."

Heather sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll tell him. But if he rejects me, it's your fault," she informed Emily.

Emily laughed. "I promise to let you scream at me if he rejects you," she conceded.

Things were finally going everyone's way.

TBC


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

Jake's cold finally ended a week later, and he had Gail sent up an appointment for him so he could go to therapy, something he still wasn't sure about.

"This is going to be awkward," Jake whined to his mother. He knew Gail hated his whining, but at this moment he didn't care.

Gail rolled her eyes. "Your son is going to arrive in a month, Jake. Do you want to screw up his life?" Gail knew that she was playing dirty, but Jake already loved his son so much.

Jake just stared at his mother. He couldn't believe that she had already played the Jacob card. "I go, but I won't like it," he muttered.

"That's all I ask," Gail told him. She wanted her son to have some help. She had caught him crying again over Johnston and Bonnie. Eric had caught him crying over Johnston three days earlier.

"I'll be back home after work," Jake promised. He was going to go to work straight from therapy.

"What do you want for dinner?" Gail questioned. She wasn't sure what to make, but choices were still limited. All of the businesses that had been running before were just now starting to return.

"You decide," he told her. He knew Gail would make something good.

Gail smiled at him. "I love you, Baby."

Jake was ready to bolt out the door, but he stopped. "Love you too, Mom."

"We have so much work to do before the babies are born," Mimi said to Stanley. She couldn't believe how much work they had to do, and the twins wouldn't even be born for another few months.

"We still have a lot of time," Stanley told his wife. He didn't understand why Mimi was in such a rush to get the nursery done.

"But the twins may come early," she pointed out. Mimi knew that was a possibility, especially since the medical world wasn't completely back to normal.

"Let's not think about that," Stanley said. He really didn't want to think about anything that could go wrong.

"Fine," Mimi agreed. Worrying about the twins was not beneficial to her health.

"What are we going to name them?" Stanley asked. He and Mimi had no idea what they were having yet, but it was still good to pick out name choices.

"I think we should wait until my next ultrasound, when we find out the genders. I don't want to pick out six names," Mimi explained. She was so impatient that she didn't want to wait until delivery.

"Six names?" Stanley asked. Why would he and Mimi need six names?

Mimi sighed. "We don't know if we're having two boys, two girls, or one of each," she pointed out.

"Good point," he conceded. Picking out six names _would _be hard.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Mimi wondered. Watching something would distract her from the nursery, and what she planned to do in there.

Stanley nodded. He and his wife sat down on the couch. They began to watch a movie a few minutes later.

"I'm huge," Emily complained to Jonah. She and her father had reconciled after Jake had left for the war, and Emily was days away from returning to her birth name of Emily Prowse.

"You are not huge, Emily". Jonah couldn't believe how beautiful his daughter looked when she was pregnant. The last time Jonah had seen such a beautiful pregnant woman had been during Lorelei's pregnancies with Emily and Chris. Lorelei's death still hurt him to this day.

"You're lying," Emily cried. Stupid pregnancy hormones. She couldn't wait until after Jacob's birth.

Jonah rolled his eyes. "I am not lying, Em. You're very beautiful now."

"He's right," Heather said. She was hanging out with Emily and Jonah until after Jake got home. She was going to talk to him.

"Wait until you get pregnant," Emily snapped. Wow, she was not in a good mood today.

"Calm down," Jonah advised her as Heather tried to stifle a laugh. Hormonal Emily was really funny.

Emily sighed. "I'm sorry," she told Heather.

"It's okay," Heather soothed. She somewhat understood what her friend was going through.

"What is my grandson's last name going to be?" Jonah asked. He really wanted to find out.

Emily smiled at her father, her mood shifting once again. "His full name will be Johnston Jacob Green III. Jake and I both decided that it would be cruel for his last name to be Prowse-Green, Green-Prowse, or any other variation out there."

"He's already a third," Heather pointed out, immediately wishing she hadn't. Who knows what Emily's reaction would be to that?

"We wanted to honor Mayor Green," Emily explained. Jake had actually been against the baby being named Johnston Jacob Green III, but she had convinced him that the name was honoring his father.

"That's so sweet," Heather said. She understood the reasoning towards it. Heather also wondered if Jacob would have a son that would become the fourth Johnston Jacob Green. _That_ would probably be cruel.

"What was your idea for a girl's name?" Jonah questioned. He was curious, because Emily had chosen her names for a baby when she had been sixteen. They could have changed, but Jonah didn't know.

Emily sighed. "For a girl, I had two name choices: Lorelei Mariah and Veronica Jacqueline," she explained. Lorelei was such a pretty name, and it was also for her mother.

Jonah smiled at his daughter. "Lorelei is the perfect name for a future granddaughter of mine."

"Are we going to see your parents soon?" Rob asked Darcy. Darcy's parents had called three days earlier, shocking their only daughter. She thought that they had been in San Diego when the bombs went off, but it turned out that they had been in England visiting relatives. Dawn and James Harding had been unable to make it back to the United States because of suspended air travel between countries, and then hadn't been able to find their daughter after returning home.

"They're coming to see us in a few days," Darcy explained. Her parents had called again, and told her they were visiting. Both Dawn and James couldn't wait to meet their newest granddaughter.

"That's great," Rob told her. His in-laws were nice people, and he couldn't wait to see them again.

"I'm going to put Grace in her prettiest dress," Allison informed her parents. She still loved helping her parents take care of Grace.

Darcy laughed. "She may spit up on it, Ally. Wait until the last minute," she advised.

"You're going to look so beautiful," Allison told the baby. She couldn't wait to see her grandparents again. They would adore Grace.

"She is really attached to Gracie," Rob whispered. He really didn't want to see what was going to happen when Allison went off to college soon. There would be some separation anxiety.

"She's just a big sister who spoils her little sister," Darcy replied. She knew that Ally was getting a little bit too attached to Grace, but that was okay for now.

Besides, they had to prepare for her parents' visit and something always went wrong when they visited.

TBC


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything else related to the show.

* * *

The doorbell rang, and Darcy tried not to squeal. The baby was sleeping peacefully in her arms and Grace didn't like to be woken up. Rob opened the door. "Where's my little girl and grandchildren?" Dawn demanded. Rob winced.

"Your grandchildren are currently in the living room, except for me and your newest one," Darcy said. She hoped the baby slept through this.

"She's so beautiful," Dawn cooed as James began talking to Sam, Allison, and Rob.

"Thanks," Darcy replied. Her mother always became a different person around her grandchildren.

"How did you deal with everything that happened after the bombs went off?" Rob questioned. He was curious about their perspective.

"We'll talk about that later," James decided. He wasn't about to talk about anything like that in front of Sam and Allison. They were still too young to understand what had happened.

Allison rolled her eyes. Her grandfather always thought that she and Sam understood nothing about the way the world worked. He was wrong, since she had killed Sarah Mason and had very nearly participated in the Jericho-New Bern Battle. In Darcy's eighth month of pregnancy, Sam had been a witness to Phil Constantino's murder. The incident had been so traumatizing that he refused to talk about it. Her parents had sent him to therapy, but Sam had said nothing about it. He hadn't said anything about Sarah's murder either, so maybe he was just resilient.

"How was your pregnancy with this little one?" Dawn asked her daughter. She and James had been shocked to learn of Darcy and Rob's reconciliation and their third grandchild.

"It was different from my pregnancies with Allison and Sam. I had morning sickness all day in the first trimester. She kept me up all night sometimes by kicking me repeatedly," Darcy explained. She had a feeling that Grace was going to grow up and join a soccer team.

"She drove us crazy," Sam informed Dawn. His mother had always cried at the weirdest things, even commercials. Allison and his father had told him to just deal with it.

"I can't help what I'm like when I'm pregnant," Darcy declared. She was a completely different person during her pregnancies. Rob had been used to it with Allison and Sam, and Allison had been used to it because of her pregnancy with Sam.

"This house doesn't seem big enough," James said. How were five people fitting comfortably?

"It's big enough," Rob said. He liked James, but his father-in-law tended to criticize everything.

"How are your parents?" Dawn asked Rob. She had always loathed Constance and Michael Hawkins, but she didn't want them to have died because of the bombs.

Rob sighed. "My parents are fine. They actually came up for Grace's birth and left a few days later," he told her.

"Don't you have a sister?" James asked. Andrea Hawkins had always seemed to visit every time they did.

Rob froze, so Darcy answered for him. "Andrea survived the initial attacks, but died during the winter because of lack of supplies," she explained. Andrea had lived in Virginia, and Rob hadn't learned of her death until Constance and Michael left for home. They hadn't wanted to ruin Grace's birth and the news had been kept secret until the last minute.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Heather took a deep breath. "Are you okay?" Jake asked her. Heather had put off telling Jake about her feelings, but now she was about to do it.

"I'm fine," Heather lied. How was she supposed to say it? Nothing good could come out of this.

"What's wrong?" the worried Jake asked. Heather wasn't acting like herself. Maybe there was something really wrong with her.

"I'm in love with you and it's okay if you don't feel the same way," Heather cried. Wow, that had been hard to get out.

Jake stared at her in shock. "What did you say?"

Heather sighed, trying to calm down. "I'm in love with you and it's okay if you don't feel the same way," she explained slowly, hoping he got what she said.

Jake didn't know what to think. "I have no idea what to say right now."

"I understand that you don't have feelings for me," Heather told him, assuming the worst.

"That's not it. I'm just not sure what I'm feeling right now," Jake explained. He had just started therapy and his feelings were all over the map.

"You don't have to lie," Heather said. Why couldn't Jake just tell her how he felt?

"I'm not lying. Let me think about this for awhile," Jake told her. He was going to therapy again tomorrow, so his feelings for Heather were something to talk about.

XXXXXXXX

"I want to adopt him," Mary told Eric, pointing to a picture of a ninth month old baby. His mother had died from cancer shortly after the baby's birth and his father had been killed in the war.

"What's his name?" Eric asked. It was hard choosing a child to adopt because there were so many sad stories.

Mary checked his file. "His name is Tristan Charles Everesta," she said. Tristan had no health problems.

"We'll call the adoption agency," Eric said. He couldn't wait to become a father.

"Wait a minute. His file says he has an older brother that's three years old. He doesn't have a home yet either," Mary told him. She couldn't separate the two little boys. That would be cruel.

Eric sighed. Adoptions cost nothing now, but did they have the resources for a nine month old and a three year old? "What's his brother's story?"

Mary sorted through several files before she found it. "Tristan's brother is three year old Matthew Aaron Everesta. Both boys are currently waiting to be adopted. Let's do this, Eric," she said. Matthew and Tristan needed a home, and they could provide one.

"Let's adopt them both," Eric agreed after looking over both files. Matthew and Tristan were perfect for them.

Mary smiled. "Thank you, Eric." She couldn't believe she was about to become a mother. She picked up the phone and dialed the adoption agency to tell them that she and Eric had chosen their children.

XXXXXXXXXX

Gail Green sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. She couldn't wait until Jacob was born. There would be someone to spoil then. Jake lived with her and Eric visited every day, but life still wasn't the same without Johnston. Her marriage to Johnston had been happy, but they had had some hard times. Johnston's mother had always loathed her. She had always called her by her full name of Abigail and had blamed Gail for the two miscarriages she had suffered.

"What are you thinking about?" Mimi asked. She was spending the day with Gail today. She was like another mother to Mimi. She hadn't told her of the pregnancy, but Gail seemed to know.

"Nothing," Gail lied. She had figured out that Mimi was pregnant, and had commented on that fact. Mimi had been excited because it was hard keeping a secret, especially because of the twins.

"What are we going to watch?" Mimi questioned as Gail switched the channel.

"Chick flicks," Gail told her. She always loved watching romantic comedies, and now she had the perfect partner. She was going to force Jake to watch her movies with her soon, but not for a long time.

"I can't wait," Mimi told her. She and her mother hadn't watched movies for a long time before Rowan Clark's death because of the bombs, and Mimi missed that.

As the two settled in to watch the "chick flick" marathon, Gail struggled not to think about the two miscarriages she had suffered. It was hard not to think about them when there were so many pregnant women around.

TBC


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything else related to the show.

Pairings: Heather/Jake, Emily/OC, Stimi

* * *

Three days after Heather revealed her feelings for Jake, he had finally made his decision about his feelings for her.

"Have you made up your mind yet?" Heather questioned. It had been a very long three days, during which she spent all her time working and talking with Emily.

Jake nodded and took a deep breath. "I love you, Heather. I thought about all we went through and I love you."

Heather smiled and hugged him. "I love you too, Jake." Jake began to kiss her. Gail was standing in the kitchen, trying to ignore the fact that her son and future daughter-in-law were making out.

"What do you want to do next?" Jake whispered after he and Heather pulled apart.

She giggled. "I think we know where this is heading, Jake." She couldn't believe she was about to make love to him and they hadn't even been on a first date yet.

"Are you ready and sure about this?" Jake questioned. He didn't want to go too fast.

Heather nodded. She and Jake bolted up the steps and into his bedroom. They began to make love for the first time.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"You look like you need some help," Dawn observed. Darcy was unsuccessfully trying to calm down Grace.

"I'm fine, Mom. She just kept Rob and I up all night," Darcy explained. Although she was getting older, Grace still had some bad nights.

"Why did you two have a baby so late in your marriage?" Dawn questioned. She was curious about that fact.

Darcy rolled her eyes. She loved her parents, but they sometimes got on her nerves. "Grace was an accident, Mom. We didn't plan her at all."

"I wouldn't think so, what with a teenager in the house," Dawn said. She hoped that Darcy and Rob were happy with their family.

Darcy turned pale and handed the baby off to her mother. She bolted towards the bathroom and began to throw up. After she was done, Darcy returned to the living room. "I think I have the flu."

Dawn nodded. "Stay away from the kids then, especially the baby. She doesn't need your germs, Darcy."

Darcy didn't answer. Instead, she once again bolted towards the bathroom. This was the worst time to get the flu because of her parents' visit. They were only staying two more days, though. Then everything could return to normal.

"Can you watch the baby for me? I'm going to go take a nap," Darcy told her mother. Dawn nodded. Darcy went to her bedroom to try and sleep. Maybe the flu would go away if she slept through it.

"I hope you're not sick," Dawn muttered to Grace. She got out a bottle and began to feed the little girl. Grace calmed down a few minutes later.

Rob, Sam, Allison, and James came through the door. "Where's D?" asked Rob. His wife was always around now because of her parents.

"She has the flu," Dawn explained. She hoped her daughter got better before they left. She would hate to see Darcy in bed for days.

"Is she okay? Is Gracie sick too?" the worried Rob asked. He wouldn't be able to handle it if both Darcy and Gracie were sick.

"She's fine for now, but she'll need liquids. Grace is healthy," Dawn assured him. She never knew that her son-in-law was so overprotective.

Rob sighed in relief and went to go check on his wife. "How are you feeling, Baby?"

Darcy groaned as the nausea continued to churn in her stomach. "I have the flu, Rob. I'm throwing up. How do you think I'm feeling?"

"Maybe you should go to the clinic," Rob suggested. He was worried about Darcy.

"I'm fine. It's just the flu," Darcy assured him. She appreciated how much Rob loved her.

"I can't wait until we're parents," Mimi whispered to Stanley. She knew she would be a good mother.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Did Gail give you any advice?" Stanley asked. He knew that Mimi thought of Gail as a mother. In fact, Stanley and Mimi had already decided that Gail would be the twins' grandmother. They had no biological grandparents. Stanley, and now Mimi, thought of Gail as a mother, so they had decided to let her be the grandmother.

Mimi shook her head. "All she told me was to take it easy and not overdo anything," she explained. Gail had told her that they would talk about things later on in the pregnancy.

"So do we have any name ideas yet?" Stanley asked. He had come up with his own ideas, but wasn't sure what Mimi thought.

His wife sighed. "I do have a few names picked out, but I want your input on them. If we have two boys, I chose the names Aidan George and Oliver Jacob. If we have two girls, I chose the names Isabelle Bonnie and Rowan Veronica. If we have one of each, I decided to go with Isabelle Veronica and Oliver George," she told him. She had picked her two favorite names out of the four, and then just switched the middle names. It was easier that way.

"You really like Oliver?" asked Stanley. He liked Aidan, Isabelle, and Rowan. It was Oliver he was unsure about.

Mimi nodded. "What's wrong with Oliver?" Oliver had always been a favorite name of hers.

"Aidan Richmond sounds better than Oliver Richmond for some reason. How about William Jacob? We can call him Will or Liam," Stanley told her.

Mimi thought about that for a minute. "I'll consider it," she conceded. She was so glad that Stanley loved Isabelle, Rowan, and Aidan. She had originally chosen Samantha as a middle name for Isabelle, but realized that she needed her aunt's name as a middle name.

"Let's go eat," Stanley said. He was hungry, but neither Richmond felt like cooking. Mimi was still experiencing some morning sickness, and Stanley really didn't want to cook.

"Are we going to Bailey's?" Mimi asked. She loved their food, but didn't want to eat there tonight. It was usually packed.

Stanley shook his head. "We'll go somewhere else," he replied.

The two got into Stanley's truck and headed to town so they could eat.

XXXXXXX

"I can't wait to meet our sons," Mary said to Eric. The boys were going to arrive in town in two days. Mary and Eric hadn't told anyone, wanting it to be a surprise. If things went well with their adopted sons, the couple was planning on adopting again.

"We'll take care of them," Eric vowed. He hoped he was going to be a good father. He wondered what Tracy would have been like, but quickly dismissed that thought from his head. It hurt too much to think about the daughter and wife he had lost.

"I can't believe that we're going to have two little boys here," Mary sighed. She and Eric had talked about biological children, but decided that adopting was the better route. Why add more kids to the population when there was already tons of them who needed homes and families?

Eric smiled at Mary. "With our luck, they'll turn out just like me and Jake. We used to get into so much trouble when we were younger."

Mary laughed. "I'd love it if one of our sons turned out like Jake. He's a good man now."

"He's a great man now," Eric corrected. His brother had turned completely turned his life around after the bombs went off.

Gail sighed and began to look through Jake's baby book. It was hard to believe that her oldest child was going to become a father in a month. She was glad that Jake had finally found love. Heather was good 

for him, unlike Emily. "You were our little miracle," Gail murmured when she opened up the album to reveal a picture of a newborn Jake. Gail had been thrilled to finally become a mother. Life for her and Johnston had revolved around Jake until Eric's birth.

Gail had always wanted a daughter, but it hadn't been in the cards. She loved her sons. They had been born healthy, and still were. Jake may be accident prone, but he was healthy. She hadn't been able to enjoy her pregnancy with Jake because of the fear she felt. She had had a normal pregnancy with him, but that still didn't stop her from fearing a miscarriage, premature labor, or a stillbirth. She hadn't enjoyed her pregnancy with Eric though. In her seventh month, Gail had nearly gone into premature labor.

She couldn't wait to become a grandmother. At least she didn't have to worry about 3:00AM feedings. Gail desperately wanted to meet her new grandson. At least he was going to arrive soon. Gail flipped to the next page, which showed a picture of Jake's first bath. Johnston had been taking pictures the entire time his wife had tried to wash their newborn. "You always did like taking pictures," Gail whispered.

Her two miscarriages had devastated Gail. The first miscarriage had occurred eight weeks in, and the second miscarriage had ended in the tenth week. She and Johnston had given up on having children before Jake's birth. They had been married for eight years when she got pregnant with Jake.

Gail was happy, but she couldn't stop thinking about the two babies she had miscarried. She wondered what life would have been like if she hadn't lost the babies. Four kids would have been hard to raise, but she and Johnston could have made it. Jake would have been the third-born instead of the eldest. It was better not to think about that, because it only led to pain.

XXXXXXXXXX

Emily stared in shock at the man in front of her. "What are you doing here, Roger?" She couldn't believe that her ex-fiancée was back in town.

"I came to see the woman I loved. Obviously, she's moved on. Who's the father?" Roger asked. He had wanted to get back with Emily, but that apparently wasn't going to happen.

"Jake," Emily confessed a few minutes later. She wondered how Roger would react to that.

He didn't even look surprised. "How long did it take you two after I left? Where is he now?"

Emily sighed. "Roger, you and I were over before the bombs even hit. We were having problems back then. Jake and I didn't get together until after his father died. That was a few weeks after you left. He's currently at his house. We're not together anymore," she explained.

Roger scoffed. "Emily, I don't think we fit together anyway. You were still in love with Jake and I liked my job. Congratulations on the baby. I hope you two are happy." He walked away from Emily's life forever.

Emily sniffled. She had loved Roger, but he wasn't her soul mate. She was glad to have known him though. "Are you okay?" asked the man sitting next to her.

"I'm fine. Who are you?" Emily asked. She didn't recognize him.

The man smiled. "I'm Donovan Wilson. I'm one of the refugees who came into town during the winter. Not with Roger though."

Emily smiled back. "I'm Emily Prowse. Nice to meet you, Mr. Wilson." Donovan seemed to be really nice.

Donovan continued smiling. "You can call me Donovan. Is it okay if I call you Emily?"

She nodded. "What do you do for a living, Donovan?" she asked. He seemed like an interesting man.

"I was a teacher in Minnesota," Donovan explained. He hadn't heard of Emily Prowse before. She seemed interesting.

"I'm a teacher too," Emily happily informed him. She couldn't wait to see what Donovan was interested in.

"That's a coincidence," Donovan acknowledged. He couldn't believe he was lucky enough to meet another teacher.

"So why did you stay here in Jericho?" Emily questioned. She couldn't imagine why he would stay.

Donovan shrugged. "There was nothing for me in Minnesota. My parents died in a car accident five years ago and I have no siblings. The rest of my relatives are probably dead. I haven't heard from them in a long time," he explained.

"I'm sorry," Emily told him. She couldn't imagine not knowing where her relatives were. At least her father was with her now.

"it's okay," Donovan assured her. He already liked Emily Prowse, and hadn't even known her for that long.

"So do you like Jericho?" Emily asked. She wondered if he would continue to stay in town.

Donovan nodded. "It's a nice, small town. I like it. Have you lived here your entire life?"

"Yes, I have. That was my ex-fiancée who just left. He wanted to move to Chicago before the bombs went off," Emily explained. She didn't know why she was telling him this.

"I figured he was an ex of yours. When are you due?" Donovan asked her. Emily was shocked he was still interested in her because of the pregnancy.

"Next month," Emily replied. She was going to be a single mother. Donovan probably wasn't that interested in her.

"Congratulations, Emily. Do you know what you're having?" Donovan really liked Emily. She seemed nice.

Emily nodded. "I'm having a boy. He's being named after his daddy." She didn't know why she was so attracted to Donovan.

Donovan sighed. "Let me cut to the chase, Emily Prowse. Can I have your number so we can go out some time before or after your son's born?" he asked. He didn't care that she was pregnant. Emily was beautiful.

She smiled and wrote down her number on a napkin. She handed the napkin to Donovan. "I look forward to a future date," Emily told him. She didn't really expect him to call, but it was nice that a man had asked her out even though she was pregnant.

"So do I," Donovan told her. He got up a few minutes later, paid his bill, and left.

Emily sighed. She would love to go out on a date with Donovan Wilson, but he wouldn't be interested in her once she became a single mother.

She had no idea that she had just met her soul mate and future husband.

TBC


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

Two days after Emily met Donovan Wilson, she was proven wrong. The phone rang and Jonah answered it, but he gave it to his daughter.

"Hey, it's Donovan," he said. He had been serious about asking out Emily.

"Hi. I'm surprised you called," Emily replied. She wondered if he just wanted to talk.

"I wanted to know if you feel like going out to eat with me," Donovan explained. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her.

"Are you asking me out?" a shocked Emily questioned. She hadn't really expected that.

Donovan tried not to laugh. "I am asking you out. Does it matter what restaurant we go to?"

Emily smiled. "Of course I'll go out with you. I don't care what restaurant we go to, as long as they don't have seafood," she told him.

"Do you want me to pick you up? I just need your address," Donovan said. He figured that Emily probably didn't want to drive.

"You can pick me up," Emily decided. The two discussed the time of their date. Emily then told him her address. She called Heather after hanging up the phone with Donovan.

"What do you need?" Heather questioned. She was trying to figure out what to make for dinner for Jake. They had already gone on their first date the night before, so this was their second date.

"I have a date tonight with that guy I told you about," Emily excitedly explained. She wanted Heather to help her pick out an outfit. There really wasn't a maternity date outfit.

Heather squealed. "I told you that he'd ask you out, Emily. Do you want me to come over and help you pick out an outfit?"

"Of course. Bring Jake too, because you know he's going to want to meet the guy who's taking his pregnant ex-girlfriend out on a date," Emily told her.

Heather laughed. "You are right about that. Plus, your son is going along with you on the date, so he wants to make sure this Donovan is good enough for both of you," she pointed out.

"You're right," Emily conceded. Jake might not like Donovan, but she would worry about that when the time came.

"What time is your date?" Heather asked her. She wanted to make sure that she and Jake could eat before going over to Emily's house.

Emily tried desperately not to smile. She was so excited about this date. "7:00 tonight," she answered.

"We'll be over as soon as possible," Heather promised. Although she didn't want to, she and Jake were going to have to rush through dinner.

After hanging up the phone, Emily went into her room to pick out a few outfits. "What are you doing?" Jonah asked her. He had just got off work. Emily was currently on maternity leave, so she didn't have to worry about that.

"I have a date tonight," she informed him. Her father would probably interrogate Donovan. He had never liked any of the guys she had dated, which included Jake, Roger, and Mike. She had been involved with Mike Jorgen, a man from New Bern, after her relationship with Jake ended and before her relationship with Roger had started. Her relationship with Mike had only lasted seven months. He had been killed in the Jericho-New Bern battle.

"Is he good enough for you?" Jonah questioned. He wanted Emily to be happy.

She rolled her eyes. "You can meet him tonight, Dad. His name is Donovan Wilson. Please go easy on him," Emily begged. Her father tended to be slightly overprotective.

At 5:30, Jake and Heather showed up after eating dinner and visiting with Mary and Eric's sons.

"I like this dress," Heather told Emily. Luckily for Emily, it was her favorite dress.

"Is he responsible?" Jake asked her. He wanted to make sure this guy was good enough for both Emily and Jacob.

Emily rolled her eyes. "I don't know, Jake. I only met him a few days ago. Did I grill you about Heather?"

Jake was confused. "You already knew Heather," he pointed out.

"That's not the point," Emily snapped, a mood swing suddenly affecting her.

"Don't push her," Heather frantically whispered to her boyfriend. Jake hadn't been around to experience most of the mood swings that Emily had suffered early in her pregnancy.

"I'm sorry," Jake apologized. He had no idea _why _he was apologizing, but he figured he should. He didn't like Emily in the midst of a mood swing.

Emily calmed down. "You're forgiven," she told him.

Donovan arrived at 6:58PM. He wanted to be early so Emily wouldn't think he was always late.

"You must be my daughter's date," Jonah said when he opened the door.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Prowse. I'm Donovan Wilson," he said nervously. He wasn't sure what to expect.

Jake tried to push Jonah out of the way so he could meet Donovan. "I'm Jake Green, Emily's ex-boyfriend and the baby's father."

Donovan didn't know what to think. "It's nice to meet you, Jake. I promise to take care of Emily and your son tonight," he told him.

"Stop interrogating him," Emily hissed to Jonah and Jake. They were going to screw everything up for her.

"I'm Heather Lisinski, Jake's girlfriend and Emily's friend. Nice to meet you," she said. Donovan seemed nice enough. She didn't know why Jonah and Jake were being so stupid.

"Hello," Donovan said. At least Heather was actually being nice to him.

Emily and Donovan left a few minutes later. It was the last first date either of them had. Emily later told Heather that it was also the best first date she had ever been on.

XXXXXXXX

"Is Tristan 'kay?" Matthew asked his new parents. Matthew was a little wary of Mary and Eric, but they were dealing with it.

"He's fine," Mary assured the three year old boy. Tristan had started crying after the social worker left, but had since calmed down. He was now sleeping in Eric's arms. It was obvious to the couple that Matthew was overprotective of his younger brother.

"Do I have to sleep?" Matthew asked. It was starting to get late, and Mary and Eric had already set down a bedtime for him.

Mary checked her watch. "You need a bath first, Matthew. Then you have to go to sleep," she explained. Her maternal instincts had already kicked in, and the boys hadn't even been with her and Eric for that long.

"I like baths," Matthew seriously informed Eric. Eric tried not to laugh. Matthew was so cute, and according to his mother (who had left with a promise that she was going to stay with them all day), just like Jake when he had been that age.

"Are you putting Tristan in his crib?" Mary asked Eric. He nodded and headed towards the nursery that they had worked hard to complete before Tristan and Matthew's arrival.

Mary helped Matthew with his bath and began to read him a story. Eric joined his fiancé and son after Tristan was placed in his crib.

"You a nice mommy," Matthew murmured before he fell asleep. Mary sniffled. She and Eric returned to their bedroom. They needed to prepare for their first full day with Matthew and Tristan.

It would go well for them.

XXXXXXXX

Gail had loved the surprise of two new grandsons. Mary and Eric had told everyone they were planning on adopting, but seeing Matthew and Tristan had been unexpected.

"Johnston, you'd love those boys so much," Gail whispered. He'd probably spoil his grandchildren. Now Gail was alone. She had her sons and grandchildren, but that was different. She missed her husband so much.

For the first time in months, Gail felt her spirits lifting. She no longer thought about her grandchildren or Johnston's death. Now she looked forward to helping out with Matthew, Tristan, and Jacob. Maybe Mimi and Stanley's baby too.

She was happy for the first time in a long time. Things had been bad for years, but they were finally starting to improve.

Darcy had been sick for three days, but she was finally starting to feel better. Her parents were leaving soon, so everything could return to normal.

XXXXXXXXX

"Are you sure you're fine?" Dawn asked her daughter. Maybe Robert and Darcy's marriage was falling apart again. Dawn and James liked Rob, but they didn't want him to hurt their daughter again. He might have helped saved America, but that didn't matter to them.

"I'm fine," Darcy told her. She was getting sick and tired of telling everyone she was fine. She wasn't throwing up all the time anyway.

Dawn sighed. "I think you're pregnant," she said. All the symptoms pointed to it. While Grace was still so young, it was a distinct possibility.

Darcy laughed. "I'm not pregnant," she assured her mother. She would know if she was pregnant.

"Whatever you say," Dawn said. She would tell Darcy to take a pregnancy test, but her daughter tended to do the opposite of whatever she said.

At dinner, Darcy was feeling well enough to eat. When she saw the potato salad, she turned pale and rushed to the bathroom.

Dawn didn't say anything. She hadn't been able to stand potato salad when she was pregnant. Darcy might not be pregnant, but it sure seemed like it.

"I guess I'm still sick," Darcy said when she returned. She refused to even go near the table.

"Are you okay, Baby?" Rob asked. He was worried about his wife.

"I'm fine," Darcy told him. She didn't know why Rob was making such a big deal out of this.

"Maybe you should go see a doctor," Rob suggested. He didn't want her to get dehydrated and end up in the clinic.

"That's a good idea," James said. He hated to agree with his son-in-law, but he was also worried about his daughter.

"I'll go in a few days if I'm still sick," Darcy promised. She was being barred from taking care of Grace, but once she got over this flu, she'd be fine.

Darcy had a feeling she should take a pregnancy test, but pushed that thought back. She wasn't pregnant.

XXXXXXX

A few weeks later, friends and family of Emily and Jake waited in the clinic. They were there to support Emily and Jake because she was about to give birth. She had been in labor for ten hours. Jake had told them an hour earlier that she was eight centimeters dilated.

Donovan and Heather were also at the clinic, supporting Emily and Jake. Donovan and Emily had gone out pretty much every night. Although Emily wasn't ready to say it, she was pretty sure she was in love with Donovan. She was reluctant to say it because they had only been going out for a month.

"I hate you," Emily coldly informed Jake after a painful contraction ended. Jake struggled not to focus on the fact that he was pretty sure his hand was broken.

"It'll all be over soon," Jake promised, although he wasn't sure. His hand really hurt, but he wasn't about to leave Emily alone.

Emily glared at her ex-boyfriend. "You should be going through this," she spat before another contraction hit. She grabbed Jake's other hand, which he hoped wouldn't break.

Emily's doctor came in to check on her. "You're nearly there," he told her.

"I don't want to do this anymore," Emily whined a few minutes later, after the next contraction ended. They were getting closer.

"You have to," Jake told her. He really hoped Emily gave birth soon. He wanted to meet his son _and _take care of his hand. He was now completely sure that Emily had broken it.

Ten minutes later, Emily was fully dilated and was rushed to the delivery room.

"Do it for me," Emily pleaded as she struggled to push. She couldn't even think straight anymore because it hurt so much.

"I would if I could," Jake told her. He really wished Emily had gone with the epidural. Maybe she wouldn't have broken his hand.

A cry filled the air a few minutes later. "He's so beautiful," Jake murmured in surprise when his son was handed to Emily.

"We made him," Emily said in awe. She couldn't believe that she was a mother.

"I'm your daddy," Jake told the newborn. He couldn't believe that he was a father.

"What's he weigh?" Emily asked. Jake had decided not to hold the baby until after he got his hand checked out.

"Seven pounds, thirteen ounces. He was twenty and a half inches long. He was born on January 3rd, 2008 at 8:43PM," a nurse informed Emily and Jake.

"Welcome to the world, Johnston Jacob Green III. You are loved by so many people," Jake whispered.

"You're such a lucky boy, Jacob," Emily said. She couldn't believe how exhausted she was. She was struggling to stay awake.

"I love you," Jake told Jacob. He kissed Emily on the forehead. He went out into the waiting room.

"Is he here?" asked an excited Gail. She was so happy to have another grandson.

Jake nodded. "He was born at 8:43. Emily's exhausted, so it's better if you guys wait until morning. Now I have to go get my hand checked out," he told all of his friends and family members.

Johnston Jacob Green III had finally made his appearance into the world, and his parents were happier than they ever had been. Jake's hand _was _broken, but he didn't care about that. The most important thing that had ever happened to him was becoming a father.

The Richmonds, Greens, Heather, Emily, and Donovan were a family now. They couldn't ask for more.

XXXXXXXX

Darcy's parents had gone home weeks ago, but the thought of pregnancy had been in the back of her mind ever since.

Rob had taken Allison, Sam, and Grace out, so Darcy was alone. She had started to feel a little better, but the nausea had been affecting her for weeks. She just wanted to make sure she wasn't pregnant before she went to the clinic with a flu that lasted for nearly a month.

"Please give me a good result," Darcy begged. She didn't know which result she would get, but there were so many ways this could go.

Could she and Rob handle two babies? Could they handle four kids? Allison was leaving for college soon. It was better not to think about these things until the pregnancy test gave her an answer.

"We're home," Allison called. Grace had been fussy, so Rob had ushered his older two children home so the baby could take a nap.

"I'm in the bathroom," Darcy called back. She waited impatiently for the timer to go off. Now that she thought about it so more, it wouldn't be so bad if she was pregnant again.

The timer finally went off, and Darcy checked the test to see if the result changed her life or not.

TBC

* * *

I've decided this is going to be long. I'm not sure how long, but it will be a long story.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything involved with the show.

* * *

**A Year Later-2009**

Emily carried Jacob over to his high chair. "Are you having fun?" Donovan asked the little boy. He and Emily were happy together, and he was planning on proposing soon.

"He's probably exhausted," Darcy said. Grace sat in Rob's lap, eager to explore the house. The Hawkins' third child was now sixteen months old and exhausted her parents.

Four month old Andrea Jacqueline Hawkins let out a small cry in her baby carrier. She had been born three days after Grace's first birthday. Darcy and Rob adored their four children, but agreed that they were enough. Rob had willingly gone in for a vasectomy after learning of his wife's fourth pregnancy.

"He's had a big day," Mimi pointed out as she rocked Isabelle. Stanley had a sleeping Rowan.

"Wait until the girls have their first birthday," Gail told her. She was happy with so many grandchildren to spoil.

"They're only six months old," Stanley reminded her. It was hard to believe that Isabelle and Rowan would be a year old in six months.

"Longest six months of my life," Mimi muttered. The girls had finally started to sleep through the night, so she and Stanley were finally sleeping through the night. The Richmonds took turns with their daughters. Mimi kept the girls on a schedule that they followed really well.

"Da," Jacob squealed when he saw Jake. Jake smiled at his son.

"How's Daddy's little boy?" Jake questioned. His answer came in the form of babbling and the occasional "Ma".

"He really loves you," Heather told her husband. She and Jake had married a month earlier.

"That's because Daddy spoils him," Eric pointed out to his sister-in-law. Four year old Matthew was hanging onto his father. Tristan was having fun walking around the house. Luckily, Gail had baby gates up.

Heather laughed because it was true. Jake was such a good father and he loved Jacob. She handed three month old Abigail over to her husband.

"Is she getting too heavy for you?" Jake asked his wife. Heather nodded. She loved her daughter, but couldn't hold Abigail for too long.

"What are you doing, Princess Abigail?" Jake asked his little girl. The baby smiled.

"There are too many babies in one room," Darcy observed. She had counted. There were a total of seven babies. The baby boom in America still hadn't died down.

"There can never been too many," Gail told her. She loved watching her assorted grandchildren.

"I'm not a baby," Matthew cried. He didn't like to be grouped with the many babies that spread out over Jericho.

"Of course you're not a baby," Mary assured him. She loved the role of motherhood. This past year had been good for her and Eric.

"Are we going to sing happy birthday to him now?" Emily asked. The various conversations going on in the room stopped completely.

Jacob laughed for no apparent reason. His grandmother and parents (all four of them) smiled at the one year old.

His guests begin to sing happy birthday to him. A few minutes later, Emily and Jake began helping Jacob open up presents.

The one year old was so exhausted that he fell asleep in his high chair at 5:00PM. The guests returned to their houses.

It had been a good first birthday for Jacob, and he would have many more happy ones.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mimi and Stanley returned to their house and went into the nursery. Isabelle was wide awake, but Rowan was in a deep sleep.

"Are we going to have another one someday?" Mimi asked. It was hard raising twins, but she wouldn't mind having another baby in a few years.

Stanley nearly choked. "Are you pregnant?" he asked. He didn't think he could handle three babies.

Mimi laughed. "I'm not pregnant. I wanted to know if you just wanted another baby in a few years," she explained. Isabelle babbled at her father, but it was obvious that she was going to go to sleep soon.

"Let's talk about it after the twins are in pre-school," Stanley told her. It would probably be better to have another baby when Isabelle and Rowan were already in school.

Mimi thought it over. "I'll agree to that," she replied. She kissed her husband and sat down in the rocking chair to sing Isabelle to sleep.

A lot had changed in the past year for the citizens of Jericho, but not as much as it had after the war. There were still things that needed to be improved, but everyone was generally happy.

That's all they could ask for. Jericho was going to see some changes in the next few years, some good and some bad. No one knew how much everything would change.

TBC

* * *

Were you surprised I skipped ahead a year? I'm going to go several years past the war. The epilogue is already planned, I just have to write it.

I'll update as fast as I can.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho, anything related to the show, or the song Imagine.

* * *

Three days later, Jake sat in his old rocking chair, trying to get Jacob to fall asleep. "No," the baby babbled tiredly. The twelve month old was tired, but it always took him a long time to fall asleep.

"Yes," Jake told him. He loved his family so much. He couldn't imagine his life without Heather, Jacob, and Abigail.

"No," Jacob cried again. It seemed like his new favorite word was no. Only Heather could get him to stop saying it.

"Is my grandson giving you trouble?" Gail asked. Jake and Heather were living with her temporarily, because the ranch had been flooded by a burst pipe. They were going to return in a few days, once the water level went down.

Jake nodded. "He won't go to sleep. I'll get him to go to bed eventually. How are Heather and Abigail?"

Gail smiled. "Abigail is sleeping and Heather nearly fell asleep watching TV," she explained. Life was perfect for her family. Gail missed Johnston, but the pain was getting to be a little less every day.

"Can you get her up to bed?" Jake asked. He and Heather had just started to get used to having two babies around, but it was still exhausting. Jake was happy that he and Emily shared custody of Jacob.

Gail nodded. "She's heading to bed now. She told me to tell you to come to bed as soon as Jacob goes to sleep," she told her son. Jake and Heather were so happy together. Jake still attended therapy, but he was getting better. He still didn't remember Johnston's viewings or funeral, however.

Jake sighed and continued to rock Jacob. "I'll see you later, Mom," he said. He was so grateful to his mother for the sheer fact that he had let them stay. She hadn't objected when April and Eric had moved in, but that was because Gail had wanted her family near after the bombs.

"Night," she said. Gail returned to her bedroom. She secretly hoped for more grandchildren soon. Eric and Mary were talking about adopting again, so that was a possibility. Matthew and Tristan had had some problems, but they were doing fine.

Jake continued to rock his son back and forth, but when that didn't work, he decided to resort to Plan B. "Baby boy, I'm going to sing you a song that Grandpa Johnston sang to me and Uncle Eric when we were younger and wouldn't go to sleep." Jake began to sing **Imagine **to his son. When he and Eric had been younger and wouldn't fall asleep, Johnston had always sung the song to get his sons to fall asleep. Jake could still remember falling asleep to his father singing. To this day, **Imagine **was one of his favorite songs.

The singing worked, just like it had with Jake and Eric. Jacob fell asleep just as the song ended. "I love you, Kiddo," Jake whispered. He laid his son down in the crib.

A few minutes later, he slipped into bed with his wife. Abigail was sleeping in the portable crib that Stanley and Mimi had let them borrow.

"I love you," Heather whispered. She had waited for her husband, wanting to be awake when he came to bed. She had also wanted to watch Abigail. Gail, Jake, Jacob, and Abigail were the most important people in her life. She was so glad that she had met Jake Green on that bus on that fateful day.

Jake smiled. "I love you too, Heather." His wife was the most beautiful woman in the world. Abigail was also beautiful, but that was different.

The Green family was really happy for the first time in a long time.

XXXXXXXXX

Stanley and Mimi sat down on the couch to watch TV. Rowan and Isabelle were sleeping, and the couple was so happy. The twins going to sleep was such a great thing.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Stanley asked his wife. He had next to nothing to do.

Mimi shrugged. "We can eat at Emily and Donovan's house," she suggested. Emily had invited her over a few days ago, at Jacob's first birthday party.

"That's a good idea," Stanley conceded. Donovan was a nice guy, and he was happy that Emily had finally found someone who didn't bring out the bad in her personality.

Mimi snuggled up next to her husband. "Are we going to visit your parents' and Bonnie's graves tomorrow?" she asked. They weren't that far from the house, but she and Stanley were so busy with Rowan and Isabelle that it was nearly impossible to visit them.

Stanley sighed. "I think it's time we go. The girls haven't seen their grandparents or aunt since they came home from the clinic." He loved how understanding Mimi was about visiting the graves. She still felt guilty about Bonnie's death, but Stanley had repeatedly told her that it wasn't her fault.

"I hope that our kids will bury us with George, Isabelle, and Bonnie someday," Mimi said. It was a morbid thought, but the hill seemed like the most logical place to be buried.

"I don't want to think about it, but I hope we are too," Stanley agreed. He didn't want his parents and younger sister to be left alone. The house would go to one of their kids eventually, but Stanley and Mimi weren't sure who.

"You want to watch this movie?" Mimi asked, changing the subject. One of her favorite movies was coming on, and she desperately wanted to watch it again.

"Of course," Stanley said. He kissed his wife and they sat back to watch the movie.

XXXXXXXX

The next morning, Mary frantically tried to tie Matthew's shoes. He was going to be late for pre-school if she didn't hurry.

"Mare, I got Tristan," Eric called. Tristan didn't want to get up, but he had no choice. Both Eric and Mary had to work. Gail had offered to take care of her grandson, something that Eric and Mary happily accepted.

"That's nice," Mary called back, successfully tying Matthew's shoes. She sighed in relief.

Eric and Mary got into separate cars, Mary heading for Matthew's pre-school and work, and Eric heading for his mother's house and his own job. He was finally working as a lawyer, deciding to put his degree to use. It seemed like a good thing to do instead of being deputy mayor for the rest of his life.

"How is he today?" Gail asked, already holding Abigail. Jacob was currently on his way to Emily and Donovan's house. He was going to be watched by Jonah.

"He's cranky because I woke him. Remember to pick up Matthew at pre-school," Eric reminded her. He was paranoid about someone forgetting to pick up his sons. He guessed that came with fatherhood.

"That's okay. Miss Abigail is tired herself," Gail explained. She took Tristan's hand and Eric left. Gail prepared for the long day of baby-sitting two grandchildren.

XXXXXXXXX

Darcy loved having a job. She was away from her children, but at least work gave her some peace and quiet. Allison was going to college now, so she and Rob only had to deal with three kids.

"Mrs. Hawkins, I need something typed," called her boss. Darcy smiled. Life was chaotic lately, especially with two babies, but she and Rob wouldn't change anything.

"What do you need?" Darcy asked. She listened as her boss gave her instructions. After the instructions were over, Darcy thought briefly about Grace and Andrea. She was irrationally worried about them, but at least they had a responsible baby-sitter.

She called home at 11:30. "How are my girls doing?" she asked Nina, their baby-sitter. Nina had been hired after Darcy returned to work only a few months earlier. All four Hawkins kids loved her.

"Grace is currently playing and Andrea's sleeping," Nina explained. She loved baby-sitting for the Hawkins family.

"That's good," Darcy said. She talked with Nina for a few minutes, and then hung up.

She and Rob had decided that four kids were their limit. Five would be too much. They were happy with their four.

Darcy couldn't help but worry about her children and husband, however. She had no idea what the next few weeks would bring.

TBC


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

On February 7th, 2009, Darcy had no idea what would occur the next day. No one did. February 8th, 2009 would change a few people's lives.

She went about her day normally, unaware of what the next day would bring. "Will you help me get your sisters ready?" Darcy asked Sam. Sam nodded and began to help his mother with Grace and Andrea.

"You look beautiful," Rob told Darcy. She smiled and the two began to make out. Sam glared at his parents.

"Stop it," he whined. His parents' making out was so disgusting.

Darcy and Rob pulled away reluctantly. Rob laughed. "Deal with it, Kiddo."

"I don't want another sister," Sam seriously informed his parents. He loved all three of his sisters, but he didn't want another sibling. A brother would have been nice, but he was happy with Allison, Grace, and Andrea.

"Your dad and I are done giving you siblings," Darcy replied. She and Rob were happy with three daughters and one son. Another son would have been nice, but they were thrilled with the family they had.

Darcy dropped Sam off at school and went to work, while Rob dropped off Grace and Andrea at daycare. He also went into work.

It was a normal day.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Jake Green was having a rough day. Emily and Donovan were keeping Jacob for the next few days because he had come down with the flu, and none of his four parents wanted him to get Abigail sick. He had been called to the scene of a murder, the first in Jericho since Constantino's a few years earlier.

Gail had called him from the clinic, telling him that Heather had fallen down the steps and broken her ankle. He hadn't been able to leave work, and had talked with his wife on the phone.

"This is the worst day ever," Jake muttered to Jimmy, glad to finally go home. Jimmy laughed.

"It has been," he agreed. Jimmy couldn't wait to get home to his kids. The murder had been horrifying, and Jake himself had thrown up.

A few minutes later, Jake went back home. He, Heather, and Abigail were back in the ranch. "Are you okay, Babe?" he asked his wife.

Heather nodded. "It hurts a little, but I'm fine. I completely missed one step and I couldn't stop myself," she explained. She had bruises in places where she didn't even know she had hit when she fell.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get to the clinic," Jake apologized. He had been worried about Heather the entire time.

"It's okay," Heather assured him. The painkillers were making her feel loopy, so she really didn't care right now.

Jake sighed. "Is Miss Abigail currently with her grandmother?" He figured Gail wouldn't let Heather take care of the baby when she had a broken ankle and was under the influence of pain medication.

Heather nodded and giggled. "She told me that I'm probably too drugged up to take care of her. She was laughing when she told me that though."

Jake smiled. "Do you want me to make dinner for you?" he asked her.

Heather shook her head. "I'm not hungry. Maybe later," she suggested.

It was now a normal day.

XXXXXXXXX

Mimi and Stanley were playing with their daughters. They were two very happy little girls.

Isabelle smiled up at her father. She babbled something in baby language. "You, your sister, and your mommy are the reason I'm still here," Stanley whispered to the little girl. He wouldn't have survived Bonnie's death without Mimi.

Mimi smiled at her husband. "That's one of the most romantic things you have ever said," she said.

"I can be romantic when I want to," Stanley pointed out. He knew that she still remembered the Thanksgiving when they first slept together and what he did for her.

"Yes, you can," Mimi admitted. She loved Stanley Richmond so much.

"What do you say we get the girls to bed and have a little fun," he suggested. Mimi laughed.

"You're so corny, but okay," she agreed. The two went upstairs and put the girls in their cribs.

Both Isabelle and Rowan fell asleep right away, which was usual for them. They had such great personalities.

After leaving the twins' room, Mimi jumped into Stanley's arms. They ran into the wall a few times before finally making it their bedroom.

It was a normal day.

XXXXXXXXX

Eric and Mary had just put their sons to bed. Matthew had worn himself out playing, and Tristan had been in such a good mood that he had immediately agreed to sleep. The couple was looking through the list of children to adopt. They had made their final decision on adopting again, and figured it was the way to go. It was a great thing that they were giving children a home when they didn't have one.

"What about a little girl this time?" Mary asked. She loved her two sons, but a little girl would be great. She and Eric had talked about adopting several children instead of just three.

Eric had been thinking about the gender of their future adopted child for awhile. "I think a little girl would be perfect," he agreed.

Mary smiled and began sorting through the girls. Eric began helping her. They pulled out the files of the girls they felt affected them the most.

Eric was beginning to look through the file of a ten year old girl when Matthew sprinted into the kitchen, sobbing. "What's wrong, Baby Boy?" asked a concerned Mary.

Matthew continued to sob. "I had a bad dream. A monster tried to get me."

"Poor little boy. You're okay. Mommy and Daddy won't let anything get you," Mary soothed.

"You promise?" Matthew sobbed. His dream had really scared him, but he knew his mommy and daddy would make him feel better.

"We promise," Eric vowed. He hated it when his son cried. It always made him want to cry.

"Do you want Mommy to read you a story?" Mary asked. Reading a story always got Matthew back to sleep after a nightmare.

Matthew nodded, so Mary took his hand and led him back to his room.

Eric continued to look through the file of the ten year old girl he had been looking at before Matthew had come down.

He had already made his choice when Mary came back down ten minutes later. "What's up?" she asked her husband.

"I think I found our daughter," Eric explained. He and Mary didn't care about the ages of the children they adopted. They only cared about giving them a good home and love.

"Who is she?" Mary questioned. She had picked Matthew and Tristan, so it was only fair that Eric chose their daughter.

"Her name is Lola Diane Marsh. She's ten years old and lives in California. She was in Sacramento when the bombs went off. Her parents were in San Diego when the bombs went off. She lived with her grandparents until their death during that first winter. She then began traveling with some refugees," Eric explained. Something about Lola's story had just affected him. He wanted to give the ten year old a stable, loving environment.

Mary began looking through Lola's file. After she was done, she turned to Eric. "She's perfect for us," Mary agreed.

Eric smiled and kissed his wife. They would call the adoption agency in the morning.

It was practically a normal day.

XXXXXXXXXX

Emily, Donovan, and Jonah were exhausted. They had spent all day taking care of the sick Jacob.

Donovan had proposed to Emily a week earlier, and she had happily accepted. The two had discussed wedding plans in between taking care of Jacob.

"When we have another one, please don't let him or her get sick," Donovan said to his fiancée.

Emily laughed. "I really can't control that, Donovan. Jacob will get better soon." At least she hoped so. Staying home to take care of a sick baby wasn't fun, but Emily knew she had to do it. She would have been worried about her son during the day anyway, even if Jonah had been taking care of him.

"I know he will, Em. But we'll probably end up with several sick kids at once," he pointed out. He loved Jacob like he was his own.

"How many more do you want?" Emily asked. She knew that she wanted at least one more.

Donovan shrugged. "I don't know an exact number, but I want at least one more," he explained. Emily stared at her fiancé in shock. They had known each other for a year, but were still surprised when they thought the same things.

"I love you," she told him. Donovan was the man she couldn't wait to marry. Her marriage to Roger never would have worked.

Donovan smiled. "I love you too," he answered.

Jonah rolled his eyes. "Save that lovey-dovey crap for when my grandson isn't running a fever." He liked Donovan, but Emily and Donovan got a little bit too mushy with each other.

The couple laughed. "I'm going to go check on Jacob now," Emily decided. She got up and went into the nursery.

It was a normal day.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day, everything changed. Darcy dropped Sam off at school, while Rob stayed home with Grace and Andrea. He had the day off.

Darcy was driving down main street when another car came barreling down the road. She tried to back up, but was unsuccessful.

The other car hit Darcy head on. Her car went backwards and Darcy somehow ended up near City Hall. Through a haze of pain, she noticed the sheriff's car also get hit and flip over several times.

The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Jake Green lying in the middle of the road.

TBC


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

Eric was on his way to City Hall when he witnessed what would later be called the most horrific car accident in Jericho's history. He heard screaming, but didn't realize it was him.

Another witness, Skylar Stevens-Turner, would later tell Eric that he wasn't the only one screaming. The six months pregnant eighteen year old couldn't even believe what she was seeing.

Jake Green had just left City Hall to patrol town. He hadn't been able to get his seatbelt on yet when he saw the car come down Main Street, going the wrong way. He also noticed Darcy Hawkins' car get hit. He wasn't expecting the driver to run into him. He especially wasn't expecting his car to flip or for the windshield to break, sending him through it.

Jake was in a lot of pain. He couldn't even tell where he was hurt. Jake was surprised that he was even still conscious. Eric came bolting up to his brother. "Hey, big brother," he said.

Jake tried to smile. "Hey, little… brother," he gasped out. It hurt to even talk.

Eric tried to stay calm. "You're going to be okay," he tried to comfort. His brother was hurt so bad.

"Hurts," Jake gasped out. He choked for a second and spit up blood. He knew it meant internal bleeding, but was in too much pain to care at that moment.

Eric really did sob. "I know it does, Jake. But you have to stay awake. You may have a concussion." Where was the ambulance? The clinic wasn't that far away.

Jake didn't feel well. He didn't think he could survive this. He was going to die at the age of thirty-five. "Love you," Jake whispered. He had to tell his brother that.

"Don't you do that," Eric said. He couldn't handle a good-bye from Jake. His brother was not going to die.

"Have to," Jake struggled to say. For a brief second, he wondered if Darcy Hawkins was hurt.

Eric sobbed in relief as the ambulance finally pulled up. "Tell… everyone… love… them," Jake said. He coughed up blood again.

"You'll tell them yourself," Eric sobbed. He got into the ambulance with his brother as the paramedics loaded him up.

XXXXXXXXXX

Darcy had woken up just as the ambulances arrived. Her head was hurting so much, and so was her left leg.

"How badly are you hurt, Mrs. Hawkins?" asked a paramedic. He had heard that the sheriff and Mrs. Hawkins had been involved in a bad car accident, but the scene had been horrifying.

"My head and left leg hurt," Darcy explained. She briefly remembered that she had seen Jake in the middle of the road, but pushed that thought away as she was loaded into the ambulance.

"We're taking you to the clinic now," Marcia Hayes, a paramedic in town for nine months, explained. The clinic could deal with the injuries. Jake Green was hurt badly, but he seemed to be stable for now.

"Call my husband. He's at home," Darcy instructed. She knew Rob would freak out, but he had a right to be worried about her.

The driver that had started the whole thing was being placed in a body bag. He had been killed after hitting the sheriff's car.

XXXXXXXXXX

It took only a minute or two to arrive at the clinic, but to Eric it felt like forever. The paramedics rushed Jake into the clinic. Gail, who had been volunteering for the day, met her two sons. "How bad is he hurt?" she demanded. Her little boy had been hurt so many times since returning to Jericho in September 2006.

"We have to see, Mrs. Green," explained one of the doctors, Rhiannon Henderson. She and a few other doctors rushed to see what was wrong with Jake.

"I called Heather. Mary's on her way to pick her up," Gail explained, trying to stop her hands from shaking. She knew her son had been hurt, but she hadn't realized how badly.

"It happened so fast," Eric said absently. His knees buckled, and if Bill hadn't been near him, Eric would have collapsed. Bill helped him to one of the chairs.

"We'll need to get a statement on what happened," Bill told him reluctantly. Skylar had already given her account of what happened, and a few other witnesses were being interviewed by Jimmy.

"Not now," Gail snapped. Her youngest son was in no condition to explain what had happened.

"It's okay," Eric assured his mother. It really wasn't, because he was worried about Jake, but the details wouldn't leave him alone. He began to explain the chain of events in great detail.

Rob Hawkins burst into the clinic a few minutes later, Grace and Andrea in the double stroller. "I was told my wife was in an accident," he frantically told the receptionist.

"Mr. Hawkins, your wife is currently being looked over. Sit down," the receptionist instructed. Rob glared at her, but she didn't relent.

He sat down near Eric and Gail. Eric was still talking about what happened. It seemed like he had gone into shock.

"Do they know why the driver did this?" Rob asked Bill. He already knew that the driver was dead, but no one seemed to figure out why this had happened.

Bill nodded. "They're going to do an autopsy, but we're pretty sure that he was drunk," he explained.

"I'm glad he's dead," Eric said. That irresponsible man had hurt his brother, so it was logical that it was good that the driver had paid for it.

Gail would have normally scolded her son, but she was too worried about Jake. She sighed as Mary came into the clinic, Heather following her on the crutches.

"How is he?" Heather demanded. She hadn't expected the call from Jimmy. Her husband was hurt.

"We don't know," Gail explained. She felt helpless for the first time since Johnston's death.

"I want to know who did it," Rob said. If the driver hadn't died, Rob would have made sure that he paid for hurting his wife and Jake.

Bill sighed. "We can't release that information until we contact his family, Hawkins. They need to know first." He hoped that Jake came out of this alive.

"Where are my grandchildren?" Gail asked. She hoped that they would have been there to distract her from worrying about Jake.

"Mrs. Carter is watching them," Mary explained as Donovan entered the clinic. Emily was stuck at work until school was over, so she had sent Donovan.

"Mr. Hawkins, your wife is asking for you," Jessica said. Rob got up and entered his wife's room. Mary watched Grace and Andrea for him.

XXXXXXX

"How are you doing, Baby?" he asked her. Darcy hugged her husband.

"I just have a concussion and a broken leg. They're keeping me overnight for observation," she explained. Darcy had tried to resist staying, but it hadn't worked.

"You scared me," Rob admitted. He couldn't imagine living without his wife. How was he supposed to take care of three kids and pay for a teenager in college?

"Is Jake okay?" Darcy asked. She still remembered seeing Jake.

Rob shrugged. "No one knows yet," he explained. He hoped his best friend was okay. He didn't know what would happen if Jake died.

"I tried to get out of the way, but it didn't work," Darcy said. This accident had brought up the memories of an accident she had been involved in during college. It had been right after she met Rob. It had been snowing and the ice had sent her off the road. Come to think of it, that accident had also resulted in a concussion.

"At least you weren't hurt that much," Rob pointed out. His wife had been lucky.

"The doctor said I'll probably be bruised tomorrow," Darcy replied. She already had a feeling that tomorrow would be a painful day.

"I'm not surprised," Rob answered. The panic he felt was finally starting to go away.

"Are you going to be able to take care of two babies tonight?" Darcy questioned. She was worried about Sam and her babies.

Rob nodded. "I'll be fine with them," he said.

He and Darcy began talking about what they planned to do while she recuperated from the accident.

XXXXXXXX

Jake had lost conscious awhile ago, and the doctors were working frantically to help him.

"What are his total injuries?" Rhiannon asked. The sheriff had to go into surgery for internal bleeding, but there were so many other injuries.

"Internal bleeding, chance of a head injury, broken hip, broken fingers, several cuts, a lot of blood loss, and a dislocated shoulder," another doctor listed.

"We need to get him into surgery immediately," Rhiannon declared. She wanted to save Jake Green.

"We'll start prepping him," another doctor agreed.

They were ready to leave for the operating room when Jake flat lined.

TBC


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

As the doctors worked frantically to save Jake, his family and friends waited impatiently to hear news about him.

"He's going to be okay," Eric said. Maybe he could convince himself of that eventually.

"Of course he is," Gail assured her son, although she wasn't sure. The bad feeling that she had been experiencing since last night had only worsened since hearing the news of Jake's accident.

"He's strong," Donovan told them. He hadn't known Jake Green for that long, but he knew what he was like.

"He'll survive," Heather said. She stifled a sob. She would cry when she knew her husband was okay.

"He was hurt so bad," Eric whispered to himself. Seeing his brother hurt like that had been terrifying.

"Are you okay?" Mary asked. Her husband was scaring her.

"I saw it," Eric said again. He had already told the story once, but Gail hadn't even paid attention. She had been lost in her thoughts. He looked down, and for the first time, noticed that there was blood all over his shirt. He felt like throwing up.

"What do you mean?" Gail asked. She just knew that Eric had been with Jake after the accident. Eric couldn't possibly mean what he had just said. He was probably just in shock. That was it. Gail would go with that theory.

"I watched the accident. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Jake just went flying through the windshield. He hit the ground so hard." Eric was definitely in shock, and obviously traumatized by his brother's accident.

Mary exchanged a concerned look with Donovan. Heather was still crying and not paying attention to anything, and Gail was trying to remain in denial. "I think we should get you out of those clothes," she told her husband.

"He was bleeding everywhere," Eric wept. He couldn't help but remember Jake trying to say good-bye. What would he do if Jake died? He and Jake were great brothers now. The anger between them that had existed since Jake had become a teenager had faded completely after their father's death.

"He's going to be fine," Mary soothed. She really wasn't sure, but she had to calm Eric down. It wouldn't do any good if he became hysterical.

"You don't know that," Eric sobbed. Losing Dad had hurt so badly, and he wouldn't be able to handle it if Jake died. Why couldn't anything go their way for once? Why did everything bad have to happen to the Greens?

Mary closed her eyes and struggled not to cry herself. She had to be strong for her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and husband. She sighed. "Eric, you know your brother. He's a fighter. Jake Green will not give up," Mary told him.

"I'm going to be a widow," Heather rasped out, done with crying for the moment. She was being negative at the moment, but didn't care. No one was coming out to tell her what was wrong with her husband, and he was most likely dead.

"Shut up," Gail screamed. She was acting irrational, but knew that she had the right to. Her miracle first child, the one that she had waited such a long time for, was not going to die. Gail was not going to let him. She had not suffered two miscarriages just to lose another one of her children.

"Calm down," Donovan advised her. They had to stay calm to deal with what was happening. Acting irrationally would not help anything.

"I will not calm down," Gail snapped. She couldn't handle this. Gail stood up. Eric and Heather were too busy crying to pay attention, but Mary tried to stop her mother-in-law. It failed as Gail bolted out of the clinic and ran towards the cemetery where her husband, father-in-law, and daughter-in-law were buried.

"Where'd she go?" Eric asked his wife. He wanted his mother to be by his side in case Jake died. He nearly laughed hysterically at that thought. No wonder Jake used to call him a 'Mama's Boy'.

"I don't know," Mary said. She would send Donovan after Gail, but knew that Emily probably wanted him at the clinic until she could leave work.

"I'll call Stanley and Mimi and get one of them to find her," Donovan decided. He wasn't sure if the Richmonds knew about the accident, but they probably needed to be informed. One of them could go out and find Gail.

While Donovan went to go call Stanley and Mimi, Mary stayed with Heather and Eric. They needed her, and Mary was ready to step up to the plate.

"I need new clothes," Eric said. He hadn't heard Mary said anything about it before, but he really needed something new to wear. The blood on his shirt was making him nauseated, and he didn't want to throw up. That would not be beneficial.

"Donovan's going to tell Stanley and Mimi to pick you up some clothes," Mary assured him. She was really worried about Eric, and was thinking about having a doctor check him out. He wasn't physically hurt, but the shock had to be wearing on him.

"Where's Mom?" Eric wondered. He didn't remember what had happened with her.

Mary's eyes widened. "Eric, let's go see a doctor. Please, baby. I'm worried about you," she told him. If Eric forgot that his mother left, and had asked the question before, something was very wrong.

"Okay," Eric agreed, dazed. He hoped his brother was okay. Where had his mother gone again?

"I'll stay here," Heather told her. She wanted her husband to be okay. What would she do if Jake died? Would she still see Jacob? How would she raise Abigail?

"Will you be okay?" Mary asked. She was ready to fall apart right now, but that was definitely not an option. Eric was in shock, Gail had bolted, and Heather was crying her eyes out. What _would _happen if Jake died? The family would probably fall apart, like it nearly had after Johnston's death.

"Just go," Heather cried. She wanted to be alone, and people kept bothering her. Nobody understood what she was going through.

Ten minutes, the Richmonds showed up with Gail in tow. Mimi had thought of the cemetery, and Stanley had agreed with her. Mimi had driven the car because Stanley's hands had been shaking too much.

It would be a long time before they heard news about Jake Green, but nobody in the waiting room knew that.

TBC

* * *

Sorry I didn't update sooner. I started college on the 25th and was too tired to update. When I did go to write the chapter, I experienced writer's block. But the writer's block is gone and I can update in between classes because I have a three hour gap between my penultimate class and last class.

You'll find out what happens with Jake next chapter.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

Gail struggled not to panic while waiting to hear the news about her son. If Jake died, at least he'd be with her parents, EJ, and Johnston. She had to stop thinking so negatively. Jake would be fine. He had to be.

The friends and family of Jake Green waited for several more hours, hoping to hear that he was fine. Mary hoped he wasn't hurt too badly.

Rhiannon Henderson, the doctor who had been operated on Jake, came out into the clinic room. "Family of Jake Green?" she asked.

"We're here," Stanley said. He felt panicked for no odd reason. What would he do if Jake died? He had barely survived Bonnie's death. The only way that he had made it through that was killing Goetz and talking to Mimi and Jake.

Rhiannon sighed. "Jake is doing okay for now. We fixed the internal bleeding and his hip. He flat lined before surgery, but we revived him. He flat lined again during surgery, but we brought him back again. He's receiving a blood transfusion at this moment. We put his shoulder back into place and splinted his finger," she explained. She was surprised that Jake managed to survive, but he was still in critical condition.

Gail felt dizzy. Her knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed. Stanley helped her sit down on the nearest chapter. "I want to see my baby," she demanded.

"Only one person in the room for ten minutes," Rhiannon said. She didn't want Jake to be disturbed too much. He was still unconscious from his surgery and the accident.

"You go," Eric told his mother. He had slowly snapped out of his shock, but was still seeing the accident in his head. Maybe he could have warned his brother and stopped him from getting hurt.

"Okay," Gail agreed absently. Stanley helped her up, and Gail went into Jake's room. She struggled to hold back tears at the sight of her son, but failed.

"I'll be back for you soon," Stanley told her. He was really worried about Gail. She didn't seem to be handling this too well.

"Hi Baby. Mommy's here," Gail assured her son. Jake had many cuts, and he would most likely be bruised by night or morning.

Jake didn't answer, but Gail really didn't expect one anyway. "Baby, you're going to be fine. As soon as you get home, I'll take care of you," she vowed. She had nearly lost her son. Gail wasn't planning on letting him die. She was supposed to die first. That was one of the rules of the universe.

Jake didn't stir. Gail continued to talk. "You were our miracle, Jake. The doctor told me that I'd probably never carry you to term, but I did. I didn't care that I was in pain during labor. I just knew that I'd finally be a mother. If you were a girl, your father and I would have named you Faith Hope Green. I always had faith and hope that I would be a mom, and I was right. I missed you during those five years you were away. I'm so glad you came back, Baby." She sobbed, and left the room a few minutes later when Stanley came and got her.

Heather went into her husband's room a few minutes later. "Hi, Jake. I love you so much. Please don't give up," she pleaded. She didn't know if Jake could hear her, but she was at least trying.

"Mrs. Green, your husband's a fighter," the nurse assured Heather. She had been amazed by the fact that the sheriff had flat lined twice, but was still alive.

"I know," Heather said, smiling. Her birthday was coming up, and she had planned a surprise for Jake, but it looked like that plan wasn't going to work. Jake would still probably be in the hospital during her birthday.

"He'll wake up soon," the nurse told Heather. She walked out. The nurse hoped that Jake made it through the day. He'd have a better chance of living if he made it through the rest of the day.

Heather smiled again at her husband. She leaned down next to his ear and began to whisper. "I love you, Jake. I wanted to tell you that we're going on a trip to England in the summer. I planned the trip a long time ago, but I wanted to surprise you on my birthday. I know that's weird, but I don't care," she told him.

Other family members and friends trickled in and out of Jake's room for a while longer, until visiting hours ended and they all had to go home. Heather went to Gail's house, so she could have someone to be with. She needed help with Abigail anyway.

The next morning, as soon as visiting hours started, Heather went in to visit her husband. He had woken up in the middle of the night, and seemed to doing okay. Jake was out of critical condition.

"Babe, I'm fine," Jake told his wife. His head was pounding from the concussion, but the pain medication he had been given was working fine. That headache would go away soon.

"You were in a major car accident and died twice," Heather pointed out. She had had a nightmare about Jake dying and leaving her alone to raise Abigail. It hadn't been a great life.

"I know, but I'm going to be okay," Jake assured her. He had been surprised to learn that he had flat lined twice, but at least he was still living now.

"You don't know that," Heather cried. She would not cry again. She didn't want to upset Jake.

"Of course I know that," Jake told her. He wanted to calm Heather down. He hated seeing his wife like this, especially since he was the cause of it.

"No you don't," Heather cried again. She failed, and began to sob. Jake awkwardly tried to comfort his wife, which was hard with several broken fingers and a fixed dislocated shoulder.

"Heather Green, I love you," Jake said. He really hoped someone came in and helped Heather. He might cry if she continued to sob.

"I love you too," Heather sobbed. Why was she acting like this? Like Jake said, he was fine. Maybe it hadn't set in yet that she wasn't going to be a widow.

Gail chose that moment to enter her son's room. When she saw Jake trying frantically to motion to Heather, Gail went over to her daughter-in-law and hugged her. "You're okay," Gail soothed. She had been expecting Heather to have a breakdown.

Heather turned into Gail's embrace and sobbed into her chest. As soon as she cried everything out, she'd be okay to help out her husband.

"Mom, take care of her for me," Jake begged. He hated seeing his wife like this.

"I will," Gail promised. She loved Heather and didn't want her to be hurting like this, either.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Two weeks later, Jake was finally discharged from the clinic. He had to have physical therapy for his hip and stay in a wheelchair, but he was healing fine.

"I can wheel myself," Jake told Eric. Eric was insisting on doing everything for his older brother, and it was driving Jake up the wall.

"I know you can, but I want to help," Eric replied. He was still seeing the accident in his nightmares, and each time, the results were different. He loved his brother and hadn't wanted him to die, but that's what was occurring in his nightmares.

Jake knew what his brother's problem was. Mary had told him before that Eric was having nightmares, and he felt guilty about that. Jake never wanted his little brother to be afraid for him. That's why Jake was so overprotective of Eric. "I know you do, Kiddo, but I'm fine," Jake said.

"I want to help you," Eric insisted. Why didn't Jake understand that? He loved his older brother, and hated the rift that had been between them in the years before and after Jake's departure from Jericho.

Jake sighed. "Little brother, I love you. I know you love me. I know that the accident scared you, but I'm going to heal. Okay?" He hoped he helped soothed some of Eric's worries.

Eric began to cry and sat down on the couch, next to his older brother. "It was the one of the most terrifying events of my life," he admitted.

"It was for me too," Jake assured Eric. He hoped his brother would go get help. It was obvious that he needed some help to get over the trauma.

Heather came in on her crutches. "What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously. Jake needed to be in bed so he could recover.

"We're just talking," Jake explained to his wife. Heather had become overprotective since falling apart in his hospital room. He was really starting to get tired of it.

"Go to bed," Heather demanded. She knew that she wasn't acting normal, but didn't care. Jake needed to recover from the accident so he could be healthy again.

"Take me to bed," Jake told his brother, laughing. Eric laughed with him and carried Jake up the steps. He really couldn't walk yet, but that was going to change because of the therapy.

"Can you find some way to stop Mom and Heather from being so overprotective?" Jake asked. Emily had freaked out on him too, at first. She was even letting Jacob stay for an entire week, something that she never did. Jacob usually stayed all weekend or whenever Jake and Heather wanted him. The most they had had was for two days.

"I don't think anything I do will work," Eric replied. He hated how overprotective his mother got when one of them was hurt. It drove him crazy.

"You're right," Jake agreed reluctantly. He wanted some time alone, but that wasn't going to happen if no one would leave him alone.

"What's on TV?" Eric asked. He was curious, because his brother had been forced to watch soap operas all day. He had also managed to catch a documentary on his heroics in revealing the truth about the bombs, but he had been too embarrassed to comment on it.

"Nothing," Jake said immediately. He couldn't watch any more soap operas. Why couldn't the characters be happy for once? They was always something bad going on.

The two brothers settled in to talk. They loved having conversations that lasted for a long time.

Jake Green was going to take a long time to heal, but nobody cared. He had survived a bad accident.

Things would only improve from now on, but there were still some bad events ahead for some of the people living in Jericho.

TBC


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

**September 20****th****, 2011-Fifth Year Anniversary of the Bombs**

The town of Jericho was gathering to remember what had occurred on September 20th, 2006. That was the day that had changed America forever.

"Do you have Isabelle and Rowan's things?" Mimi asked her husband. Stanley nodded.

"Go," Isabelle cried. She and Rowan had just turned three and were very happy little girls.

"Yeah, Mommy and Daddy," cried Rowan. She wanted to see Grandma Gail and Uncle Jake and Aunt Heather and Aunt Emily and Uncle Donovan.

"Be patient," the laughing Mimi told them. The girls had just started pre-school, but every student in America had the day off because of the anniversary.

"Are you feeling okay?" Stanley asked his wife. Mimi was six months pregnant, with another daughter. They were planning on naming her Keely Jocelyn Richmond.

"I'm fine," Mimi assured him. She felt so much better this pregnancy than she had during her pregnancy with Isabelle and Rowan.

"Mommy's having a baby," Isabelle sing-songed. She couldn't wait until she and Rowan were big sisters. They would take good care of Keely.

"It's hard to believe that it's been five years," Mimi murmured as she helped strap Rowan into her car seat. Stanley was strapping Isabelle into hers.

"I know," Stanley said. Five years ago, he had met the love of his life and America had changed for good.

"What you talking about?" Rowan asked her parents. She couldn't wait to eat because she was hungry.

"Nothing," Mimi lied. Her daughters were innocent, and they didn't need to know the truth yet. They had heard about the "bad day" in pre-school, but didn't really understand what that meant.

"Kay," Rowan said. She and Isabelle began to talk about what they planned to do after they saw Uncle Jake and Grandma Gail and Aunt Heather and Aunt Emily and Uncle Donovan. Isabelle didn't tell her sister, but she really wanted to see Jacob Green. Besides Rowan, Jacob was her bestest friend.

Stanley and Mimi exchanged a smile. They couldn't wait until Keely was born. They would have an even greater family than they already had.

XXXXXXXXX

"We need to hurry," Heather called to her husband, nearly tripping over a toy that was lying on the living room floor.

"I'm changing a diaper," Jake called back. He had recovered from the accident two years earlier, but his hip still hurt on rainy days. He had been off of work for months. He was still the sheriff, but refused to do desk duty.

Heather laughed. "One of us is always changing a diaper," she pointed out. She and Jake were getting Jacob tonight, after the remembrance of the anniversary of the bombs. Emily and Donovan needed some time alone before the baby was born, so they were getting Jacob and Jonah was getting seventeen month old Lorelei Mariah Wilson. Lorelei had been after Emily and Donovan's wedding. Now Emily was eight months pregnant with a little girl that was to be named Olivia Jacqueline Wilson.

"That's because we're extremely fertile," Jake retorted as he came down the steps with a baby in his arms.

Jake's accident had occurred in early February. He had been cleared for physical activity in April. He and Heather had ended up conceiving another child. On January 28th, 2010, a little girl named Rhiannon Alexandra Green had arrived. Rhiannon had been named after the doctor that had saved Jake's life after the accident.

Abigail had been five months old upon Rhiannon's conception and fourteen months old when her younger sister was born. Now Jacob was a few months away from turning four, Abigail was nearly four herself, and Rhiannon was nearly two.

"That's your fault," Heather told her husband. Actually, their fertility had to deal with both her and Jake. Heather had gone for her six week check-up with Rhiannon, and she and Jake had immediately resumed their activities. She had gotten pregnant again. On December 27th, 2010, the Greens had welcomed another daughter. She had been named Gillian Morgan Green. Gillian was now eight months old.

"Your fault too," Jake whispered. He and Heather adored Jacob, Abigail, Rhiannon, and Gillian.

Gillian had been eight weeks old when Heather had gotten pregnant again. It had been recommended that there was at least a year between pregnancies, but that just wasn't working for Heather and Jake. Like Mimi, she was six months pregnant. This time, they were having a son. After three girls in a row, Jake couldn't wait to have another son. Since Heather had named both Rhiannon and Gillian, he had been able to choose their son's name. He had chosen the name Dylan Eric Green.

Neither he and Heather could wait for Dylan's birth. Immediately after learning of Heather's fourth pregnancy, Jake had willingly gone in for a vasectomy. Five kids were enough for the Greens.

"At least we know that this is our final child," Heather said. She was going to get her tubes tied shortly after Dylan's birth. In case Jake's vasectomy failed (and she hoped it didn't), there would be even less of a chance to conceive.

"Five kids is our limit," Jake agreed. Some Jericho citizens called Jake and Heather "The Extremely Fertile Greens". They had had a child nearly every year. 2011 would go by without a Green baby, but 2012 wouldn't.

"We need to get our kids in the van," Heather reminded her husband. Getting three babies (or four if Jacob was with them and five when Dylan was born.) into a car was practically impossible.

Jake sighed. "Let's get to it," he said. He loved being a father and husband. He didn't mind having so many kids, and neither did Heather. Gail loved having so many grandchildren.

The Greens were a huge family, but that was something they wanted. A lot had changed for Jake in the five years since the bombs. Ten years earlier, he had bolted from Jericho. He had never expected to return home, but he had and had never regretted it.

XXXXXXXXX

Mary and Eric Green tried to hurry their kids into the car. Twelve year old Lola was trying to help her parents by getting her younger brothers into the car, but it wasn't really working.

"Mom and Dad want you in the car," Lola told Matthew. The six year old was being stubborn and wanted to stay home.

"I'm in the car," Tristan happily informed his older sister. He always listened to Lola and his parents. He listened to Matthew sometimes, but his older brother was really bossy.

"I know you are," Lola said. She loved that Tristan listened to her.

Mary tried to not to laugh at her daughter. Lola loved taking charge, but Matthew just resisted authority unless he was talking to his grandma. She and Eric had decided that their family was complete after Lola's birth. They had no biological children, and weren't planning on having any.

Five years ago today, Eric Green had never expected to be where he was now. He had been planning on leaving April, but had never expected to actually marry Mary or adopt three kids with her.

He was happy with the way his life had turned out. Things hadn't turned out the way Mary had expected them to either. She had been expecting Eric to leave April, but she never actually thought that their relationship would make it this long. She was glad that it had. She also had never expected to become a mother. She was an aunt to many children. It was really no surprise that Heather was knocked up again. She and Jake went at it like bunnies.

Both wished America hadn't changed so drastically by the bombs five years earlier, but they were going to go remember what happened. They had to.

XXXXXXXX

The Hawkins family was a little less rushed than some other families in Jericho. Allison, Sam, Grace, and Andrea were ready and waiting for their parents.

"Mom, I got the girls ready," Allison called to Darcy. She loved helping her parents with her little sisters.

"That's good," Darcy assured her oldest daughter. She, Rob, and the kids were going to leave in a few minutes.

"What are we eating for dinner?" Sam asked. He was curious, because Rob and Darcy were going out of town to visit her parents for a few days. Allison was going to watch him, Grace, and Andrea.

"We're eating there," Rob explained to his son. The town was holding a dinner for Jericho citizens. New Bern citizens were invited, but things still hadn't been the same since the Jericho-New Bern Battle. In fact, the rivalry was still so bitter that the two football teams didn't even play each other anymore.

"Good," Allison replied. She really didn't feel like feeding her younger siblings tonight. She would cook for them tomorrow. She had a date with James Michaels tomorrow, while her sisters and brother were still in school.

"You just want to hang out with your boyfriend," Sam pointed out. He had his own girlfriend and was going to meet her at the anniversary thing, but he wasn't allowed to go out with her until after his parents got back.

Allison rolled her eyes. "I am twenty-two years old," she reminded her brother. She had a feeling that she was going to marry James. The only person she had told was her mother, and that had led to some happy squealing.

"Don't fight," Darcy warned her oldest children. At least Grace and Andrea were playing happily with each other.

"Sorry," Allison and Sam said at the same time. They couldn't help the fact that they fought. That was what being brother and sister was all about. Grace and Andrea would probably start fighting a lot in their teenage years.

It was the worst fifth year anniversary of _anything _that Darcy and Rob were "celebrating". Five years ago, Rob had kidnapped his estranged wife and children to save them. Now he was happily married to her and they had two more kids.

They had managed to make it through the five years after the bombs, and the horrible six months afterwards. Nothing could tear them apart.

XXXXXXXXX

Emily Wilson smiled at her son as he finished dressing himself. Jacob had started to become more independent lately, and that was something that Emily dreaded.

"Mama," called Lorelei from her high chair. She was sitting in there until Emily could dress her and make sure that her daughter didn't get her dress dirty.

"I'm coming," Emily said. She winced as Olivia gave a hard kick. Her third child was a kicker, and she blamed it on the fact that Donovan used to play soccer.

"Do you want me to dress her?" Donovan asked his wife. He loved helping out his wife, especially when she was pregnant. To know that Emily was carrying his child felt really good. He had given up on falling in love after the bombs, but that hadn't happened. He was glad to have met a pregnant Emily Prowse in a restaurant. He adored Jacob, and considered himself the little boys' second father. He also loved Lorelei and couldn't wait for Olivia's birth. Olivia was going to be their final child. Three kids were going to be enough for them.

"Sure," Emily replied. She took a bite of the banana in her hand. This pregnancy had her craving bananas nearly all day. Her pregnancies with Jacob and Lorelei had been different, but all pregnancies were different.

Emily sometimes worried about her son. He had three (soon to be four) half-siblings from Jake and one (soon to be two) half-siblings from her and Donovan. He was going to be one of seven, and that couldn't be good for a kid that was nearly four. Emily sometimes wondered why Jake and Heather were so fertile. She also wondered about Jake's fertility. If he knocked up Heather so often, it was a surprise that he hadn't knocked her up before. Maybe Heather and Jake were super-fertile or something.

A few minutes, the Wilson family was leaving for the anniversary "celebration". They would be the first ones there.

Five years earlier, Emily had expected to be marrying Roger Hammond and having his kids. Now she was happily married to a different man and had three children. She knew now that her relationship with Roger never would have lasted.

She was happy with the way her life was going, but that happiness wouldn't last. The Wilson family just didn't know that yet.

XXXXXXXXXX

As the families of Jericho gathered to watch the documentary that had been prepared for the five year anniversary of the bombs, none of them actually realized how far they had come since September 20th, 2006. A lot had changed since then.

As Jake Green and Robert Hawkins were considered heroes, both had to give speeches for the anniversary. They would have to do it again on the tenth anniversary, but neither one knew that.

Jake went up to give his speech first. "Hi, Jericho. Five years ago today, the world changed forever. We all watched in horror at the mushroom clouds. Neighbors turned against each other, but there were also good things happening. Neighbors also helped each other. September 20th, 2006 is a day that will never be forgotten. We have to remember what happened so we don't make the same mistakes twice. Our children and grandchildren shouldn't have to experience what we did on that horrible day. We lost a lot of people on this day five years, but we also managed to survive. We managed to survive through that horrible winter, and the new government trying to take over afterwards. We survived the war. Jericho, we and America have made it five years. Don't ever forget what happened," he said. He returned to his seat, and Hawkins went up to give his speech.

Jake had been right. The next five years, especially the next few months, would change a lot of things that nobody expected.

The citizens of Jericho were happy. They _had_ made it through five years. They could make it through anything.

TBC


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

A month passed, and Emily was ready to give birth to her third child. Both she and Donovan were excited about that fact. Jacob couldn't wait to become a big brother yet again, and Lorelei didn't really understand the concept of becoming a big sister. She seemed excited though, and kept pointing to her mommy's stomach.

Emily, Heather, and Mimi loved comparing their pregnancies. Mimi claimed she felt better now than she did during her pregnancy with Isabelle and Rowan. Heather claimed she was tired of being pregnant so much. Emily claimed she couldn't wait to give birth.

"You're due in three days," Heather pointed out. Mimi nodded along with one of her best friends.

"But I want to have this baby now," Emily whined. It was hard taking care of two kids while being pregnant. Three kids would also be hard, but Heather and Jake had more kids to worry about.

"You'll have her soon," Mimi assured her. She herself remembered going nuts during her last few weeks of pregnancy with Isabelle and Rowan. Of course, she had been miserable then from carrying around so much weight.

"I know," Emily said. She, Donovan, Jacob, Lorelei, and Olivia would be a great family. Even though Jacob was the half-brother to Jake and Heather's kids, he tended to get tired of the chaos at their house. He loved spending time with his mother and stepfather.

"Stanley and I talked about it and we may want a few more kids," Mimi told Emily and Heather.

"Don't understand why," Heather muttered. Sometimes, she and Jake needed some time away from kids. That's why Grandma Gail or Uncle Eric and Aunt Mary were around.

Both Emily and Mimi smiled. "If you and Jake weren't so fertile, you wouldn't be knocked up right now," Mimi pointed out. She had seen Heather pregnant a lot in these past few years.

"Good point," Heather conceded. She could still be a little mad, though. Stupid Jake and his super sperm.

"Olivia sure loves to kick me a lot," Emily commented. The baby kicked her so much that Emily sometimes couldn't sleep at night.

"She wants to annoy her mother," Mimi replied. She didn't like it when other pregnant women complained about being kicked. She had been kicked repeatedly by two babies, who had sometimes ended up kicking each other.

"She's preparing for the teenage years," Heather teased and Emily rolled her eyes.

"I was horrible as a teenager. I can't imagine how bad Jacob, Lorelei, and Olivia will be. Poor Jacob has Prowse and Green genes in him, so he's going to be ten times worse." Emily was really starting to dread the teenage years for her children, born or unborn.

"What comes around goes around," Mimi sing-songed. She couldn't wait to see Jacob, Lorelei, and Olivia in their teenage years.

"Shut up," Emily whined. She hated it when Mimi and Heather ganged up on her.

"We'll stop," Heather promised. She yawned. This pregnancy was completely and totally exhausting. At least Jake was helping out with Jacob, Abigail, Rhiannon, and Gillian.

A few minutes later, the three pregnant women parted ways. Heather and Mimi went back to their homes, and Emily went to Gracie's Market. Dale still owned the store, and Skylar helped him out when she wasn't busy with the mines.

"Hi," chirped Skylar and Dale's two year old daughter, Marissa Jane Stevens-Turner. She loved helping her daddy out at the store.

Emily smiled at the little girl. "Hi," she replied. Marissa was a sweet little girl, whose personality wasn't a match for either one of her parents.

"Buy?" asked Marissa. She loved to sell things, even things that people didn't need.

"Yes," Emily answered. Marissa was probably going to "help" her shop.

Sure enough, Marissa followed Emily around the store. Dale just smiled at his daughter and let her go. He knew that Emily wouldn't hurt her.

XXXXXXXX

Five days later, Emily was miserable. She a few days past her due date, and Lorelei was sick. Donovan was taking care of them. She was glad that Jake had Jacob for a few days.

"I hate you," Emily muttered to her husband. She tended to get hateful near the end of her pregnancies. Donovan had learned to accept that fact during her pregnancy with Lorelei. He had also experienced it with Jacob, but they hadn't been dating that long at the time.

"And I love you," Donovan told her. He was used to Emily's mood swings, and really didn't mind them too much.

"You're so sweet," Emily cooed. She loved him, but still hated him. Stupid hormones.

"What do you want for dinner?" Donovan asked. He wanted to cook for his wife. She deserved it because of the fact that she carried his babies around for nine months.

"Steak and French fries," Emily answered immediately. She had been having a huge craving for steak and French fries for a few hours now.

"Coming up soon," Donovan told her. He kept all kinds of food around the house because Emily's cravings tended to vary.

An hour later, Emily's cravings were satisfied. She, Donovan, and Lorelei sat down to watch TV.

She had no idea how much her life would change in just a few days.

XXXXXXX

Three days later, Emily was driving everyone up the wall. She was six days overdue and complaining about it all the time.

"Emily Wilson, I love you, but calm down," Donovan advised. He couldn't take it anymore.

Emily just glared at him. "This is your fault," she hissed and tried her best to stomp her way into the kitchen. She began rummaging through the cupboards because of a random craving that had popped up.

"I'm sorry?" Donovan apologized, really confused. He knew why Emily was blaming him, but he didn't know why he was apologizing.

A day later, Emily and Donovan were in the delivery room. Lorelei was staying with Mimi and Stanley, who had been unable to make it to the hospital.

As Emily pushed, she tried to yell at her husband, but it hurt too much.

"The baby's out," the doctor yelled. Something was wrong, though.

Emily and Donovan exchanged a panicked look. Their baby wasn't crying.

TBC


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything else that deals with the show.

* * *

"Is my baby okay?" Emily cried as the doctor and nurses took her little girl away. What was happening? Why wasn't Olivia crying?

"Of course she's okay," Donovan said, but he wasn't completely sure. What was wrong with his and Emily's daughter?

Ten minutes later, Emily's doctor returned without the baby. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. Your daughter was stillborn and we couldn't save her," he explained.

Emily stared at the doctor in shock. "What happened?" she managed to ask.

The doctor shrugged. "We don't know yet, Mrs. Wilson. Again, I am so very sorry," he apologized. He turned around and walked out.

"Olivia's dead," Emily repeated numbly. Her third child was _dead. _Now she only had two babies because Olivia was _dead_.

"We'll get through this," Donovan assured his wife. He couldn't believe it either, but Donovan knew that he had to be strong for Emily. He had to call everyone who had been excited about Olivia's birth in the first place.

XXXXXX

Three days later, Emily was discharged from the hospital and Olivia had a funeral. After the shock had worn off, she had demanded that their daughter have a funeral. Olivia was going to be buried next to Emily's mother and Chris.

"Baby, I'll do anything I can do to help," Jonah told his daughter. He had been horrified and saddened to learn about his granddaughter's stillbirth.

"Thanks," Emily murmured. Jacob and Lorelei didn't actually understand that Olivia was dead, but everyone was trying to help them out with that. Jake and Heather had volunteered to take Jacob for as long as she and Donovan wanted. Emily hadn't wanted to agree, thinking that they were just going to take away her son away too. Donovan had agreed though, so Jake and Heather were taking Jacob indefinitely.

"I am so sorry," Gail apologized. She knew what Emily was going through, considering her two miscarriages. Although she had never met her two miscarried babies, she figured that she could help.

"Thanks," Emily repeated. She didn't know what to say to anything but thanks. Her daughter was dead, and nothing would ever be the same again.

She went through the day, doing nothing but saying thanks and trying desperately to hold back the sobs. Emily guessed Jacob and Lorelei were meant to be her only children.

"Em, why don't you sit down?" Donovan asked his wife. He was worried about her. Emily had cried in the hospital, but that had been it. She hadn't cried about Olivia's stillbirth since. If Donovan was being truthful , he was crying himself to sleep. During the meal in between viewings the day before, he had escaped to the bathroom to cry. Heather and Mimi had caught him, and had comforted him until the hysterical sobs stopped.

"I'm fine," Emily snapped. Why wouldn't leave Donovan leave her alone? He wasn't giving her any space, and that was driving her up the wall.

"I'm only trying to help," Donovan muttered and went over to where the Greens were sitting. Why wouldn't Emily accept his help? He loved his wife and two children so much. He was hurting over Olivia's death just as much as she was.

"What's wrong besides the obvious?" asked Heather. Dylan kicked her again, and she struggled not to wince. Dylan kicked really hard sometimes.

Shortly afterwards, the memorial service lunch broke up, and everyone returned to their homes. No one tried to think about the tragedy that had hit Donovan and Emily Wilson.

The Wilsons were stuck living in a grief-filled house. The nursery door had been closed and locked because no one wanted to go in there.

XXXXXXX

"I can't even begin to imagine what Emily and Donovan are going through," Heather told her husband when they got home.

"I feel so badly for them," Jake replied. He and Heather had been at home with the kids, waiting for the call that told them of Olivia's birth when they got the news that she had been stillborn.

"At least that Jacob's out of the house for the time being," Heather said. He didn't need to be there just yet. Jonah told them that he was thinking of moving in with the couple or taking Lorelei for a little while. Donovan and Emily needed time alone to grieve for the daughter they lost.

"I don't think I could have left him there," Jake admitted. Living in the Wilson house after what had happened wouldn't be good for Jacob, and would probably traumatize his son or something like that.

"We'll take care of him until Donovan and Emily are back on their feet," Heather replied. Who knows long that would be? Neither of the Greens cared, though. They loved Jacob, and wanted him to stay with them for as long as Emily and Donovan needed.

"I love you," Jake said. He figured she needed to know again.

Heather smiled at him. "I love you too, Jake." She would never get tired of being in love with Jake Green. She had loved him since the day they had met on the bus.

Jacob came up to his father and stepmother. "Is Olivia with Grandpa Johnston?" he asked. He figured that Grandpa Johnston was probably taking care of Olivia.

Heather nodded. "Why do you want to know, Jacob?" He somewhat understood what death was about, but neither Donovan or Emily had explained it well.

"Grandpa Johnston bring baby back?" he asked. The nearly four year old didn't really understand what was going on, and why his mommy and Donovan seemed so sad.

Heather felt her heart break for her stepson. "Baby Boy, I'm so sorry. I know you don't understand that well, but Olivia can't come back. Grandpa Johnston, Grandma Lorelei, and Uncle Chris are taking care of her," she explained.

"Okay," Jacob said. He turned around and headed for his room. Death didn't really affect him, not even his half-sister's death.

Jake sighed and sat down. "This is going to be hard." He hoped something like this didn't happen with Dylan. Heather's doctor did say there was nothing wrong, but nothing had been wrong with Olivia either. Were Stanley and Mimi experiencing the same worry as them? They probably were.

"We'll help him and the Wilsons out as best as we can," Heather decided. Gail would probably cook up a storm for Emily and Donovan, so maybe that would help.

Jake sighed and leaned his head against his wife's shoulder. "Promise that we never take our kids for our granted again?" he asked.

"We won't," Heather answered. She sighed and cried for a few minutes. How had things gone so wrong for Emily and Donovan? They had been so happy for Olivia.

Jacob would stay with them for as long as Emily and Donovan needed them to, but Jake and Heather didn't realize exactly how long that would be.

XXXXXXX

The Hawkins returned home and sat down to watch TV. They needed time to decompress from the past emotional few days.

"I'm going to bake something for them," Darcy said to her husband. Grace and Andrea, who had been staying with baby-sitters, were playing in the corner.

"That's good," Rob assured her. Darcy tended to cook when things were going wrong, even though they didn't directly affect her.

"I'm so happy we have four healthy kids," Darcy told him. They had been lucky with Sam. He had been six weeks premature, and had nearly died. He was a perfectly healthy little boy now, but there had been a time when the couple thought that their son wouldn't make it.

"So do I." Rob couldn't even begin to imagine how the Wilsons were family. That was a feeling he hoped that none of his children ever experienced.

"What do you think I should make?" Darcy questioned. She had no clue what to make or bake for a grieving family.

Rob shrugged. "Make whatever you think is best." He had no clue either.

"I will," Darcy decided. She was going to bake chocolate chip cookies and pie. Chocolate chip cookies were Donovan's favorite and pie was Emily's.

"Come play," Grace cried. She wanted her parents to play with her and Andrea.

As Darcy and Rob joined their daughters, they reflected on how lucky they were.

XXXXXX

When Eric and Mary came home, they hugged their kids. They figured that it was a good thing.

"I can't help but think of April and Tracy," Eric admitted to his wife. Olivia's stillbirth had brought back his memories of that horrible time.

"It's okay to think of them," Mary comforted. She knew that her husband didn't really like to think of his wife and daughter.

"I know it is," Eric said. He missed his daughter now more than ever. He would help out Emily and Donovan as much as he could.

"Everything's going to work out for them," Mary said. Tristan and Matthew were playing together, but Lola was distracting them from the conversation that their parents were having. Lola understood that her parents were having a conversation meant for adults.

"Of course it will," Eric replied, but he wasn't sure. If he still wasn't over Tracy and April's death, would Emily and Donovan ever be?

"You'll be fine too," Mary soothed. She hugged her husband to calm him down.

Olivia's stillibirth had brought back memories that Eric had been trying to bury.

XXXXXX

Gail Green sat in her bedroom, remembering those horrible few days after her miscarriages. She had snapped at Johnston and tried to push him away. He hadn't bought it though, even though he was also hurting.

Johnston's mother had snapped her out of her funk after both miscarriages. She had boosted Gail's spirits during her pregnancies with Eric and Jake.

She understood what Emily and Donovan were experiencing, so she had to lift their spirits. It was right to let them grieve for awhile, but afterwards Gail would help.

Gail Green was not one to give up, but she had no idea how Emily and Donovan would react to Olivia's stillbirth.

TBC


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

It had been six days since Olivia's stillbirth, and Emily was not doing well at all. The day before, her father had stopped by to take Lorelei for awhile. Emily had gotten out of the bed just to see her daughter leave. Now she only got up for the bathroom and a shower. Donovan brought her food.

"Are you sure you don't want to get up?" Donovan asked. His wife was scaring him now. Her reaction to Jonah taking Lorelei had lacked emotion. He was glad Jake and Heather had Jacob, and that Lorelei was with Jonah.

"I'm sure," Emily replied. She turned around so she wasn't facing Donovan.

Donovan sighed and went into the living room. It was best to leave Emily alone. She needed to grieve in her own way. They should be complaining about Olivia waking them up in the middle of the night, not mourning for their daughter. He picked up the phone and called Jake.

"Hey," Jake said. He had wondered whether Emily or Donovan would call.

"How's Jacob?" Donovan questioned. He had been unusually worried about his stepson and daughter since Olivia.

"He just finished his homework and is playing with Abigail," Jake explained. His son seemed to have bounced back from his sister's death.

"I don't want him back here yet," Donovan said. Jacob and Lorelei didn't need to see their mother like this.

"We're keeping him for however long you need us to," Jake reminded him. Had Donovan forgotten?

"Do you need child support?" Donovan asked. He would very gladly pay.

"No, Donovan. Emily and I agreed no child support," Jake replied. That had agreement had worked out and still did.

Donovan sighed. "Can I talk to Jacob?" He needed to hear his stepson's voice.

"Of course you can," Jake said. He called for his son, and Jacob came running to the phone.

"Hi, Donovan," chirped Jacob. He missed his mommy and stepdaddy.

"How are you, Kiddo?" It was nice to just hear his stepson's voice. Jacob was comforting.

"I'm having a lot of fun," Jacob said excitedly. He hoped to see his mommy and Donovan soon.

Donovan and Jacob talked for a few minutes before hanging up.

"Stop talking so loud," Emily told her husband, coming out of the bathroom. She headed back towards her bedroom, trying desperately to ignore the closed-up nursery.

"Sorry," Donovan apologized. He didn't understand why he continued apologizing for inane things, but Donovan didn't know what else to do.

"Whatever," Emily muttered. She got back under the covers.

"Do you need anything?" Donovan was tired of asking the question, but he had to do it.

"Shut up and stop asking me questions," Emily shouted. She was sick and tired of her husband bothering her.

Donovan sighed and went into the dining room. He laid his head down on the table and began to sob.

Emily heard his cries from the bedroom, but ignored them. She pulled a pillow over her head to block the sobs. She began to cry too.

When Emily woke up, it was 3:32AM. Donovan was next to her. She reluctantly ventured into the kitchen to get something to eat. There was tons of food from left over from the funeral. Gail Green kept dropping off, too. "I didn't want to lose," Emily admitted to herself.

After eating, Emily returned to the bedroom and fell asleep again. She woke up to Donovan shaking her.

"Em, I'm going to work," Donovan said. He had reluctantly decided to go back to work. He wanted everything to go back to normal.

"Why?" Emily questioned. There was no reason for him to go back and leave her.

"We need money and it's time to," Donovan gently explained. He knew going back to work was a bad idea.

Emily deflated. "Just go! I don't need you. I never needed you!" she yelled. She was lashing out and would later regret it, but didn't care right now.

Donovan tried not to let his wife's comments affect him, but it was hard. "Gail's coming by soon," he told her.

"I thought I told you to go to work," Emily yelled angrily. She hoped he hated his students now.

When her husband left, Emily pulled the covers back over head again and began crying.

She ended up crying herself to sleep. Emily woke up to find Gail near her face. "How are you feeling?" Gail asked.

"Okay," Emily lied. Why should she tell the truth?

Gail decided to let the lie go. "I made you soup. It's in the kitchen, so let's go get it."

"I don't want to get up," Emily whined. Why should she? Emily was fine staying in bed.

"Get up now," Gail ordered. She wasn't going to let Emily drown in her grief.

"Fine," Emily said. She stumbled out of bed and made her way to the kitchen.

"You'll never fully get over it," Gail told her. Helping Emily was important to her.

"What do you know about it?" Emily asked.

Gail took a deep breath. "I had two miscarriages. I never got to meet my babies, but I know how you feel."

Emily couldn't really grasp the fact that Gail understood. "When were they?"

Gail sighed. "Jake was born in '74. I miscarried in '69 and '72," she explained.

"You never saw the babies," Emily pointed out. Gail didn't know exactly how she felt.

"You're right," Gail admitted. After she made sure that Emily had eaten enough, Gail left.

Emily returned to her bed.

No one realized how badly Olivia's stillbirth had affected Emily Wilson, and they wouldn't find out for a long time.

TBC


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

Two months after Olivia was stillborn, the Wilsons were still having a hard time. Emily was having a worse time. She stayed in bed for pretty much everything, except for a shower and to go to the bathroom.

"I don't know how to get out of her bed," Donovan confessed to Mimi. The nine months pregnant woman was due any day now.

"You're both grieving. She's not thinking straight," Mimi explained just as the phone rang. She answered it.

"Heather had Dylan!" Jake cried excitedly to her. Mimi winced at the sheer volume of his voice.

"Why didn't you call us earlier?" Mimi asked. She was thrilled that the fifth Green child had finally made his appearance.

"Heather's labor progressed so fast she literally gave birth in the ambulance. We thought we were about to have this baby in the house." Jake told her.

Mimi laughed. "How are Heather and Dylan?" she questioned. Giving birth in an ambulance would probably be terrifying.

"They're both fine. Dylan was nine pounds, thirteen ounces. He's a very loud baby," Jake explained. He was happy to be a father of five, something that really surprised him.

"Can Stanley and I come see your new family member?" Mimi had wanted to see the second Green boy since Heather and Jake had announced they were going to have a boy. Poor Dylan was going to be surrounded by three older sisters.

"Of course," Jake replied. Heather was wide awake, something that he hadn't expected. Jake guessed it was because of adrenaline from the unexpected delivery.

Mimi and Jake hung up the phone a few minutes later. "Dylan Eric Green was born this afternoon," she told Donovan.

Donovan forced a smile. "That's great," he said. Of course Jake and Heather would have a perfectly healthy baby. It wasn't like they had three other healthy kids. Why couldn't anything bad happen to them, just like it had to him and Emily?

Mimi noticed the lie, but didn't say anything. Donovan made up an excuse to leave a few minutes later, and she called Stanley to alert him of Dylan's birth.

The couple decided to go to the hospital to visit the newest Green. They loved the Green family, and it was the least they could do.

XXXXXX

Heather Green smiled tiredly at her husband. Dylan was lying in his father's arm, sleeping peacefully. "I'm so glad he finally fell asleep," she told Jake.

Jake stifled a laugh. "Babe, after his exciting birth, I'm surprised he didn't fall asleep sooner. I can't believe he came that fast."

Heather yawned. "I didn't even realize I was in labor until my water broke," she pointed out. There had no contractions before her water broke, and they had been continuous afterwards. Jake had called the ambulance because Heather didn't think she'd make it to the clinic. Her feeling had been right about that.

"At least Mom was staying with us," Jake told her. She had kept Jacob, Abigail, Rhiannon, and Gillian distracted from their obviously distressed mother. Gail had decided to stay with her son's family during the last few weeks of Heather's pregnancy so someone was with the kids when she did go into labor.

"I'm so happy she was," Heather admitted. Jake had been panicking as her contractions got closer together, and Gail had managed to calm down the kids and the two of them at the same time.

The door to Heather's room, and Stanley and Mimi stepped in. "How are you feeling?" Stanley asked.

"He's so adorable," Mimi cooed to Jake. Dylan looked just like Jacob, only he had Eric's red hair.

"I'm exhausted," Heather explained to Stanley. She was so glad that she and Jake had decided Dylan would be their final child. An epidural-less labor had been one of the worst things she had ever experienced. She had had one with Abigail, Rhiannon, and Gillian.

"I want to hold him," Mimi said to Jake. Jake went to go hand the baby to his best friend's wife when Mimi got a strange look on her face.

"Are you okay?" Stanley asked. His wife never looked like that.

"I just had a contraction," Mimi said. At least she was in the hospital. She wouldn't give birth in an ambulance like poor Heather.

Stanley and Jake laughed. Luckily, Dylan didn't stir. Heather was too tired to really react to the situation. "We'll get you signed in," Stanley said. He led his wife out of the room.

"Good luck," Jake called to his best friend. He couldn't believe the Richmonds' luck. Maybe Keely and Dylan would end up with the same birthday. That was a possibility.

The nurse came in. "I'm going to take Dylan to the nursery," she told Jake. Heather was on the verge of falling asleep.

Jake reluctantly handed his son over to the nurse and went to go sit down by his wife. "I love you," he whispered.

Heather smiled. "Love you too," she murmured and fell asleep. Jake let her, figuring she'd need it before her discharged in a few days. They would be getting no sleep with five kids under the age of five in the house.

Jake Green was the happiest he had ever been in a long time, and he had his wife and children to thank for that.

XXXXXX

Mimi Richmond loved the epidural. She was so thankful to have it. Unfortunately, the epidural wore off six hours after she went into labor and began to push.

"This is your fault," she told her husband. Stanley continued holding his wife's hand, encouraging her to push.

"I know. Blame me all you want," Stanley soothed. He would gladly admit this was his fault. He hated seeing Mimi in pain.

Ten minutes later, Keely Jocelyn Richmond was born. She was born at 7:55PM. She and Dylan Green did end up sharing the same birthday.

"She's so beautiful," Mimi sobbed. She tended to get emotional after giving birth. It was a normal reaction because of all the hormones.

"Of course she is. She's our daughter," Stanley answered. He couldn't wait for Isabelle and Rowan to meet their new sister.

"We have three perfect little girls," Mimi commented as she held the baby in her arms.

"The Richmond girls will always be perfect," Stanley declared. Mimi giggled, but didn't say anything. He wouldn't say that once the teenage years hit.

XXXXXXX

"I can't believe our son and daughter have the same birthday," Stanley told Jake. They were looking through the nursery at Dylan and Keely. The two had requested that the babies be right now each other.

"I think Dylan and Keely will be best friends," Jake replied. He had a feeling they would be.

"Greens and Richmonds are destined to be best friends," Stanley corrected. His parents had been friends with Johnston in elementary school.

"You and Mimi planning on having anymore?" Jake was curious about that. Stanley wanted someone to carry on the Richmond name, but he didn't mind the fact that he was the father of three girls.

Stanley laughed. "She said that we'd discuss later when she wasn't still hurting from delivering our child." He respected Mimi's wishes. She had mentioned that she wanted the family to be even, because an odd number was bothering her. Stanley had laughed at his wife's neurotic reasoning.

"Heather told me that we'd discuss another baby after Gillian was born, but it ended up happening anyway." Jake knew that all five of the Green kids were accidents, but it was still hilarious that Heather had wanted to discuss another baby.

"Congratulations, Jake," Stanley said. He had forgotten to say in his rush to get Mimi admitted.

"Congratulations back," Jake answered. He and Stanley would probably end up having a lot of sleepless nights.

There would be many shared moments in the lives of Jake Green and Stanley Richmond in the years ahead, but they didn't know it yet.

XXXXXXX

Donovan couldn't help but resent the fact that both Dylan Green and Keely Richmond were both healthy. Why did he and Emily have to grieve for their daughter?

"What are you doing?" Emily asked her husband. It was a rare day for her-She was out of bed and making dinner. She had some good days, but they were few and far between.

"Nothing," Donovan lied. Why did Emily care? She was selfish and only cared about her grief. Why couldn't Donovan grieve like he wanted to?

"Don't you lie to me," Emily snapped. She could always tell when he did lie to her. It was a leftover feeling from her relationship with Jake.

"I'm not lying," Donovan snapped back. Why was Emily determined to get on her case? Why couldn't she just go back to doing what she had been doing for the last two months and stay in bed?

"Stop lying to me and admit what's wrong!" Emily screamed. Right now, she was glad that Jonah had Lorelei and Jacob was with Jake and Heather.

Donovan rolled his eyes. "Stop acting like a baby!" he screamed back. The tension between Emily and Donovan had been building since Olivia's death, and now it was just pouring out.

"Would you just be honest with me? Tell me how you really feel!" Emily yelled. She didn't care that the neighbors could probably hear her and Donovan. Why should she care?

"Fine. I'll tell you how I really feel, Emily. I am sick and tired of you staying in bed all the time and not doing anything!" Donovan yelled.

Emily glared at her husband. "I know how you really feel! Don't you dare hold your feelings back! Tell me the truth, Donovan!" She was really loud now.

Donovan rolled his eyes. "I think you're selfish! You're not the only one who lost Olivia. Our entire family lost her, so don't you dare make this about you!"

Emily had been holding a coffee cup in her hand, and she gripped it hard. "It is about me! It's my fault that I lost the baby!"

"It is not your fault," Donovan screamed. Who did Emily think she was to place all the blame on herself?

"I'm the one who lost her! Do not tell me it isn't my fault! Don't you lie to me, Donovan Wilson!" Emily couldn't believe the fight. She and Donovan had never fought like this before.

Donovan sighed angrily and decided to just go for it. He _wanted_ to hurt Emily. "Yes, it your fault! You killed Olivia! It is your fault that she died!"

Emily couldn't believe what he was saying. "I hate you!" she snarled. Why was Donovan acting this way?

"Right back at you," Donovan spat. He didn't even realize what he was saying. The fight had already gone too far.

Emily was hurting, but she was determined to hurt Donovan even more. "Get out! Get out! Get out!" she yelled. She couldn't even stand the sight of her husband right now.

Donovan glared at her. "I'll gladly go," he spat out angrily. He didn't need this crap or Emily.

"I hope you have fun. Go sleep with someone who actually wants you!" Emily screamed.

Donovan laughed. "If I go, we're over!" he screamed back. How had the fight gotten this bad?

"Get out!" Emily yelled again. She didn't even care what was happening right now.

Donovan opened up the door and slammed it on his way out. Emily sunk to the floor and began to sob.

The Wilsons' problems had just become worse.

TBC

* * *

The next update should be Wednesday by the very latest.


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

Three days later, Donovan still hadn't returned home. Gail had come by during the second day, and revealed to Emily that he was staying in a motel.

For the first time in months, Emily left the house. She needed to get out. Emily desperately needed her husband back. She loved her husband so much.

"What are you doing here?" Donovan asked his wife when he opened up the door. Why had Emily left the house?

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to take everything out on you. I'm not dealing with this well," Emily explained as she stepped into the room.

Donovan rolled his eyes. "I'm tired of your excuses. Something horrible happened to us, but that doesn't mean that you should have reacted that like that."

Emily glared at him. "I'm sorry that I didn't grieve the way you wanted me to. I never lost a child before," she snapped.

Donovan sighed. "Emily, we're never going to be the same couple we were before. I'm sorry, but it's true. I'm going to file for divorce," he told her.

Emily didn't know how to react to that. "Please don't give up on us. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. Don't leave me," she begged. She loved Donovan. Emily didn't want their marriage to end.

"My mind's made up," Donovan said, unmoved. He and Emily were going to go their separate ways, and share custody of Lorelei. Jacob could visit him if he wanted to, but that was about it.

"I'm sorry. I'll do better next time. I promise!" Emily cried hysterically. Why was this happening? First her daughter dies, and now her husband's leaving her? She doesn't deserve this.

"It's not anything you did, Emily. I'm just done," Donovan told her. He couldn't be in a relationship with Emily anymore.

"We can go to couple's counseling. We can talk to anyone. Please don't leave me," Emily pleaded. She hadn't even felt this way during her break-ups with Roger and Jake, and the men in between those two.

Donovan sighed. "Emily, I love you. I will always love you, but I just can't do this anymore."

"We can go talk to someone!" Emily cried again. She would do **anything **to save her marriage.

"Get out," Donovan said. He couldn't talk to Emily right now. She was acting irrational.

"Don't you think I'm going to give you your divorce," Emily said. She turned around and reluctantly went back to the house she shared with her husband.

Her knees buckled, and Emily barely made it onto a chair. Nothing had gone right for her in the past few months. Donovan didn't love her anymore, no matter what he said. Jacob was better off with Jake and Heather, so Emily was going to give full custody of Jacob to them. He deserved to be with someone who wasn't a mess. Lorelei would also be placed in Donovan's care. She didn't deserve to be a mother. It was her fault that Olivia was dead anyway, and everyone knew that.

Everything had become so screwed up lately, and it was all Emily's fault.

XXXXXXXX

Jake was thrilled that his wife and newborn son were finally home. He was glad that Gail was staying with him and Heather to help out for a few weeks.

"How's my new grandson?" Gail asked as Jake came down the steps. Heather was taking a nap upstairs with the baby.

"He's doing fine," Jake assured his mother. Gail tended to get overprotective of her sons and grandchildren.

"I love all five of your babies, but I'm glad you decided to stop at five," Gail said. Five kids were enough for her son and Heather.

"So am I," Jake replied. He laughed. He was glad for the vasectomy. At least he and Heather were assured that there would be no more Greens in their future.

"I'm worried about Emily and Donovan," Gail admitted a few minutes later. Both of them were grieving and acting irrationally. Emily was finally starting to get out of the house, but she wasn't the same woman she always was.

"They'll get through this." Jake was sure of that. They had experienced a tragedy, but Emily and Donovan had always been happy.

"I'm not so sure about that," Gail answered. She had visited Donovan at the motel to talk to him, and had learned of his plan to divorce Emily. Gail thought that was a stupid idea, but wasn't about to say anything. She couldn't interfere. Emily and Donovan had to get through their problems on their own.

"What do you mean?" Jake questioned. He really had no idea what his mother was talking about.

Gail sighed. "Donovan's going to file for divorce. He thinks that's the way it should go," she explained.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Donovan wants to run when because things got tough? He's a coward for that, and I'm going to tell him that next time I see him."

"I agree with you." Gail couldn't believe how much things had gotten out of hand.

Rhiannon, Gillian, **and **Dylan all began to cry, so the three adults in the house went to go take care of them.

XXXXX

The Hawkins family was enjoying a nice family dinner. Allison was out with her fiancée, so she wasn't attending dinner.

"I can't wait until school ends," Sam complained to his parents. He was sick and tired of this school year. He wanted summer vacation to start.

"We can," Darcy said. She and Rob couldn't wait until Grace and Andrea were in school. They'd be alone for a little while at least.

"We like it when you're in school," Rob told his only son. He and Darcy loved being alone for a few hours.

Sam rolled his eyes. "You two just want to do gross things I don't want to think about," he pointed out.

Darcy gave a look to her son. "Don't talk about that in front of your sisters!" Rob was laughing, so Darcy's point didn't exactly get across.

"It was funny," Rob defended when his wife glared at him. His son had hit it right on the mark.

"No it wasn't," Darcy said. She didn't want her daughters to be asking about "wrestling" yet. Grace had accidentally walked in on her parents once, and Rob had told her that they were wrestling.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Sam questioned, changing the subject.

"I'm thinking about taking the girls to the nearest zoo," Darcy explained. She loved going to the zoo, and knew her daughters would too.

"That's a good idea," Sam agreed. Darcy used to take him and Allison a lot when they were younger. It was hard to believe that his older sister was getting married.

The Hawkins were pretty happy, and nothing would ever change that.

XXXX

Mimi Richmond was exhausted. Taking care of a newborn and two three years old was tiring. She and Stanley had no idea how Heather and Jake were taking care of five kids, three of whom were babies.

"I don't think I want another baby for a few more years," Stanley confessed to his wife. Taking care of three kids was pretty hard.

"I think we could go another three more years without having another baby," Mimi decided. Both her pregnancies had been planned. With the exception of a negative pregnancy test two years earlier, Stanley and Mimi had had no accidents that could lead to the conception of another baby.

"I think that's a good decision. Isabelle and Rowan will be six and Keely will be three," Stanley replied.

"I'm so glad I met you," Mimi told him. She had started out hating Stanley and Jericho, but now loved both. Mimi still missed Bonnie, and cried for the late teenager sometimes. Stanley found her sometimes and cried with her once he realized what exactly his wife was crying about. It still hurt to think about Bonnie, who would have been her sister-in-law. Mimi still felt guilty that Bonnie had died to save her.

"I'm glad I met you too," Stanley said. He kissed his wife.

Neither of the Richmonds realized at that moment how more pregnancies would be planned.

TBC

* * *

The Emily and Donovan part nearly made me cry when I wrote it. The next chapter will be up soon.


	23. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

Emily reluctantly opened the nursery door for the first time in two months. She had to do this. She needed to confront her pain. "I can do this," Emily whispered to herself.

Donovan stepped into the room, behind his wife. "Yes, you can," he told her. What had possessed his wife to go into the nursery?

"What are you doing here?" Emily questioned. She had left her husband back at the motel.

Donovan sighed. "I still want a divorce, but we need to talk," he told her.

"About what?" Emily asked angrily. What was there to talk about? Donovan had already made up his mind.

"What we're going to do about this," Donovan said. The doorbell rang just as he finished talking.

"I'm going to go get that," Emily replied. She opened the door to reveal Jake.

"I came to help you," Jake explained after she gave him a look.

"We don't need your help," Donovan told him. He and Emily would get through this divorce by themselves. They didn't need anyone else.

"You two belong together," Jake said. He didn't want them to break-up.

"Sometimes, couples can't handle bad things," Donovan declared. He loved Emily, but too much had happened to them.

"**You **couldn't handle it and decided to divorce me," Emily shot back.

Donovan rolled his eyes. "Emily, shut up. I have my reasons."

"Stupid reasons," Jake piped in. He probably shouldn't be interfering, but really didn't care.

Both Emily and Donovan glared at him. "Get out," Emily snapped to her ex-boyfriend.

Jake listened and left. He went to work. "You want to tell me why you decided to visit Olivia's nursery?" Donovan asked angrily.

"I want to mourn my child the right way now," Emily yelled. Why didn't Donovan understand that?

"You want to do it now after spending two months in bed?" Donovan questioned. What was the point? Two months had passed already, and nothing could change the fact that he had had to take care of his own wife.

"It's my fault that Olivia died. I couldn't handle it," Emily frantically explained. The anger had faded, replaced by fear.

"Stop saying it's your fault, Emily. It's no one's fault," Donovan yelled. Why didn't Emily understand that? It wasn't that hard to figure out that Olivia's death wasn't her fault.

"You're not the one who gave birth to her," Emily yelled. Donovan had to understand that it was her fault.

"Emily, I am going to say it again. Sometimes, these things happen. Olivia was stillborn, but that wasn't your fault," Donovan told her.

"Yes it was," Emily insisted. She had known from the very beginning that Olivia's death was her fault. That's why she had stayed in bed for two straight months.

"Emily, stop thinking that. Stop trying to get me to stay. We're over," Donovan said. He had come by to talk to his wife and to pack up some of his stuff.

"We can work it out," Emily cried. She struggled to hold back tears. She would not let Donovan see her weakness.

"We can't work it out. There's nothing to work out." Donovan was sticking to his beliefs. He and Emily had had a happy marriage, up until Olivia's death. It couldn't be fixed now.

"Can we at least talk?" Emily asked, her voice cracking. She needed to talk to her husband. She needed something to get him to stay.

Donovan sighed. "Sure," he agreed. Talking wouldn't hurt anything, but Emily was being stubborn and refused to listen to him.

Emily went out into the living room. Donovan followed her. "I love you, Donovan. We can make this marriage work. I'm sorry about the last two months. I never meant to hurt you, but all I could think about was Olivia."

"I love you too, Emily. I'm also sorry about the last two months. I had to think about you and what happened with Olivia. I'm not sure if we can make this marriage work," he explained.

Emily sighed. "Two months shouldn't ruin our marriage. We've been happy. Olivia's death shouldn't tear us apart. We can go to marriage counseling or something, Donovan. I'll do anything to make this work," she sobbed.

Donovan kissed her. "Calm down, Em. I'm not so sure about marriage counseling. Our marriage has been damaged too much."

"No it hasn't. We need to get our relationship back on track," Emily sobbed. So much for not crying. That hadn't worked out too well.

"Please don't leave me," Emily begged. She didn't want a divorce. Donovan was her soul mate.

Donovan weighed his options. "Can I at least think about these things?" he finally asked.

Emily nodded because she didn't trust herself to talk without bursting into sobs. Donovan helped his wife off the couch, and left.

"Come back," Emily pleaded after Donovan left. She needed her husband.

XXXXX

Donovan didn't know what to do after he returned to his motel room. He had been dead set on a divorce, but Emily was convincing him otherwise. "What do I do?" he asked himself.

Jonah, visting with Lorelei, decided to answer his son-in-law. "You think about what you want," he suggested. Lorelei was watching TV and babbling happily.

"I have been thinking about what I want, but now I don't know," Donovan whined. He should not be whining right now. He had no right to whine.

"You've been through a lot," Jonah told him. He didn't understand how everything had gone so wrong. Emily and Donovan hadn't deserved to lose a child. It wasn't fair to them.

"I miss Olivia," Donovan confessed. He began to cry. The burning anger had prevented him from crying. It was still there, but Donovan couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

Jonah set his granddaughter down in her portable playpen and reluctantly hugged Donovan. "Don't expect this to happen again," he warned.

Donovan laughed through his tears. "I don't expect you to, Jonah."

"You and Emily will get through this," Jonah assured him. He wasn't exactly sure of that, but Emily and Donovan had to work things out.

"You don't know that," Donovan said. He was unsure about his decision, and what was going to happen in the future.

"Things might change," Jonah declared. He was sure of that. His daughter and son-in-law's luck had to change some time.

XXXXXX

Two weeks later, Emily and Donovan met at **Bailey's **to discuss their relationship. A public place probably wasn't the best place to talk about their marriage, but neither one cared.

"I love you," he said to Emily. He wanted to get that out of the way first.

"I love you too," she replied. Why was Donovan telling Emily that he loved her? Emily knew that, although she had doubted that for the past few weeks.

"I think we can work this out, Emily," Donovan explained. Emily smiled at him.

"What's the catch?" Emily knew that something had to go wrong, since it had been ever since Olivia's stillbirth.

"I want a trial separation of a year. We can go to marriage counseling and see where things go after the year is up," he told her. He had been thinking about his plan for the past two weeks.

Emily was grateful for the sheer fact that Donovan hadn't presented her with divorce papers. "I'll do it," she agreed.

A separation wasn't exactly good, but at least there was some hope left for Donovan and Emily Wilson.

TBC


	24. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything else related to the show.

* * *

**July 4****th****, 2021- Nearly 15 years after the bombs**

Jake Green headed towards City Hall. He was meeting his wife and kids there for the _Independence Day Celebration_.

"You're going fast," Emily Wilson observed of her ex-boyfriend.

"I was nearly late," Jake explained. He went over to Heather.

"Your children are driving me crazy," Heather informed him.

"That's what they're here for," Jake deadpanned. His wife glared at him.

"Dad, I want to go see Isabelle," Jacob whined. The twelve year old liked Isabelle Richmond, but she didn't know yet.

"I told you to go see her," his stepmother reminded him. Jacob listened and bolted towards the Richmonds.

"I can't believe my baby's growing up so fast," Emily told them.

"You say that a lot," Donovan pointed out. He and Emily had reunited after their year-long separation. Emily had pulled herself together during that time, and started attending therapy. She went on anti-depressants for clinical depression. In 2013, Emily had unexpectedly become pregnant. Along with twelve year old Jacob and ten year old Lorelei, the couple had a healthy eight year old son named Christopher Jonah Wilson. His birth had gone smoothly.

"I can't help it," Emily defended. She loved all of her children.

"I can't wait for the fireworks!" cried Abigail. She loved watching them just because they were so pretty.

"They are going to be awesome," agreed Rhiannon. She had fun going to Jericho's celebrations every year on the 4th of July.

"I hate fireworks," Gillian reminded Jake and Heather. They scared her.

"I want a dog," Dylan tried, changing the subject. He had been begging his parents for weeks. Jake and Heather had already chosen the puppy for their kids, but hadn't told their youngest child.

"I'm so tired," Allison complained. The new mother had been up most of the night.

"You knew what it was like with your siblings," Heather told her.

"I love being a grandma," Darcy said happily. Allison and her husband had waited a few years to have a baby.

"I hope Lorelei waits a long time," Donovan told his wife.

Emily laughed. "Try and stop her," she challenged.

XXXXX

Mimi Richmond was trying desperately to keep track of her daughters **and **Jacob Green. "Stay close to Mommy," she warned her youngest daughters.

"I know, Mommy!" six year old Danielle cried exasperatedly. Her mommy got so scared sometimes.

Nine year old Keely gripped Rowan's hand tightly. "I hope there aren't any clowns around," she worriedly said.

Four year old Gretchen was staying close to Stanley, which two year olds Eden and Analise slept in the double stroller. Mimi had been forty-three upon Eden and Analise's birth. All of her pregnancies had been planned. Stanley had given up on having a baby during Mimi's pregnancy with Gretchen.

"Eat?" Gretchen hopefully asked her father. Stanley laughed.

"We'll eat soon," he assured his daughter.

"I can't believe we're doing this again," Mimi said. The forty-five year old was eight months pregnant with a third set of twin girls to be named Lilah and Piper. Stanley and Mimi had run out of names they liked before learning the names Gail had picked out for Jake or Eric had they been a girl. The couple had immediately loved both names.

"What's more in our madhouse?" Stanley was serious. Nine daughters would not be worse than seven. He and Mimi loved their large family. They had never expected all girls or three sets of twins, but it had happened.

"Good point," Mimi conceded. They did have enough room.

"I think you're wrong!" Isabelle shrieked at Jacob. He winced at the sheer volume of her voice.

"You're wrong!" Jacob told her. He **knew **he was right.

"Stop fighting," Mimi scolded.

Isabelle sighed. "I'm sorry, Jacob."

"I'm sorry too, Belle," he apologized. The two hugged, but not for very long.

"They're so sweet," Mimi cried to Stanley.

"He better not touch my little girl," Stanley growled. He was a little bit overprotective of his daughters.

XXXXX

"I hope that we have fun tonight," Lola Green said to Mary.

Mary nodded. "We always do, Lo. You know that."

"I hope Jacob's going to be there," Tristan said. He loved hanging out with his cousins.

"If the past few months are something to go on, Jacob's going to be Isabelle," commented Eric.

"Definitely," Mary agreed. She had a feeling that the Greens and Richmonds would end up related someday.

"If he admits his feelings for Isabelle," Tristan replied.

"She'll admit her feelings first," Lola declared. She was sure of that.

"With so many Richmonds and Greens, something is bound to happen soon," Mary said.

"Isabelle and Jacob are meant for each other," Eric told his wife and kids.

"We need to go." Mary had just checked her watch and they needed to get to the celebration as soon as possible.

The Greens hurried out the door.

XXXXX

"I want a hamburger so bad right now," Jake said to his wife.

"Get me a hot dog while you're at the grill," Heather ordered. She didn't feel like going to get food, so sending Jake was a better idea.

Jake laughed and headed towards one of the grills.

"He is so whipped," Emily sing-songed. It was funny to watch. She never would have gotten Jake to agree to that during their on-off relationship.

"Yes he is," Heather reluctantly agreed. She loved her husband, and Jake felt the same way. He would do anything for her. Emily and Heather talked for a few minutes, before Jake returned.

"What are you talking about?" Jake asked upon his return. The two girls were giggling.

"Nothing," Heather lied and dissolved into giggles again.

"We were talking about school," Emily lied. She also began to giggle again.

Jake didn't even want to know what they were talking about. He began to eat his hamburger.

The Richmonds sat down at the picnic table with the Wilsons and Greens. "What are they laughing about?" Mimi questioned.

Jake shrugged. A now serious Emily leaned over and whispered in Mimi's ear. She also began to laugh, and that set off Emily and Heather again.

"I'm scared," Stanley whispered to his best friend.

"So am I," Jake confessed.

"No reason to be scared," Mimi said, finally calming. She thought Emily and Heather's conversation had been hilarious.

There was an awkward pause for a few minutes. "We were comparing Jake in bed," Emily finally admitted.

Donovan and Jake stared at the two girls in shock. "That is not a cool topic!" Jake cried.

"You've gotten better since your days with Emily," replied Heather. She, Mimi, and Emily began to laugh again.

"You should have been scared," Stanley told Jake.

"I know," Jake answered. How had Emily and Heather's conversation turned to that topic?

"What are you talking about?" asked a confused Keely.

"Nothing," Isabelle told her. Only Isabelle, Rowan, Jacob, and Abigail understood the conversation, and they were grossed out.

As the day wore on into night, the kids got tired. Mimi ended up falling asleep on her husband's shoulder.

"This speech by Mayor Williams is going to be boring," Jacob complained. Isabelle nodded in agreement.

"At least it leads to fireworks," she pointed out.

"You're right," Jacob agreed.

"Do you want to see a movie tomorrow?" Isabelle asked.

"Sure." Jacob loved watching movies with Isabelle. They sometimes mocked the bad movies. That was really fun.

"I like you in a more than friends way," Isabelle suddenly announced.

There was a really awkward silence. "I like you too," Jacob finally said.

Isabelle laughed nervously. "Should we kiss now?"

"Probably." Jacob was really nervous about this. This was his first, as well as Isabelle's.

He and Isabelle hesitantly moved closer together. Heather and Emily were watching from around the corner, but the twelve year olds didn't notice.

The fireworks started a few seconds after the two began kissing. They backed away fast.

Neither one knew that they would be together for the rest of their lives.

Their life had just started on Independence Day.

TBC

* * *

As of this chapter, this is the longest story I have ever written. When I first started this, I never expected it to go this far. There's still many more chapters left. I'm not sure of how many, but I'm aiming for forty.


	25. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

Mimi shifted Piper and smiled at her husband. "Can you believe our delivery room surprise?" she asked her husband. Mimi had gone into labor three weeks early, but the labor hadn't progressed as well as the doctor would have liked. She ended up having to getting a c-section.

"We now have ten daughters instead of nine," a still in shock Stanley answered. The third baby had been hidden behind Lilah.

"Ten isn't going to be worse than nine," Mimi rationalized. She and Stanley now had five babies under the age of two, but they could get through this. Really.

"She still doesn't have a name," Stanley said. Lilah and Piper's names had been chosen months ago, and the Richmonds thought that they would be their final children. They had never bothered to look at other names.

Mimi sighed. "I like Susannah," she suggested. Susannah was a good name.

"I like it too," Stanley said. While Lilah and the third baby were identical, Piper was fraternal. At least it would be easy to tell the babies apart.

"What about a middle name?" Mimi questioned. The rest of the Richmonds had middle names, so it was only fair that Susannah got one.

"Devyn," Stanley said. Devin was mostly a boy's name, but he heard of it being used for a girl.

"I don't like it," Mimi replied. She smiled as Piper stirred, but continued to sleep. Mimi was surprised that she hadn't fallen asleep yet. She had been in labor for twenty-six hours before the emergency c-section and that had been four hours ago.

"We used all of our favorite names," Stanley whined. He was so tired. Going home to seven daughters didn't sound that appealing right now. At least Heather, Jake, and Gail were watching the girls.

"Audrey," Mimi said. Susannah Audrey Richmond seemed like a good name.

"Maybe. How about Taylor?" Stanley had wanted to name a son Taylor, but the name was also for both genders.

"Susannah Audrey or Susannah Taylor. I don't know," Mimi answered. Both middle names fit with Susannah.

"We could ask her older sisters," Stanley suggested. Although that could end badly with different suggestions, the girls could decide between the two middle names.

"We'll call them now," Mimi decided. Stanley set Susannah and Piper down in their bassinets and dialed the Greens' house.

"Put the girls on speakerphone," Stanley told Jake. Jake agreed.

"Hi Dad," Rowan called.

Mimi explained what the call was about to her and Stanley's daughters. "What do you think, girls?"

"We'll think about it and vote," Isabelle promised. That way, there wouldn't be a fight over the phone while her parents waited.

Stanley stifled a laugh. Mimi would have laughed, but knew it would hurt too much. "I love you," she said.

"We love you too," Keely shouted. Her younger sisters were starting to get a little loud, which was annoying.

"So do I," Stanley said. After Mimi talked with Heather for a few minutes, the phone call finally ended.

"How much do you bet that they'll vote on a completely different middle name?" Mimi asked Stanley.

"It's a sure thing," Stanley replied. The girls _would _probably end up with a different name. That's the way they were.

Ten minutes later, the phone rang. "We voted on a middle name," Rowan explained.

"It's a completely different one," Isabelle chimed in. Rowan glared at her sister for the interruption.'

"What is it?" Stanley questioned. The adrenaline from the triplets' arrival had finally worn off, and Mimi had passed out a minute after the conversation.

"Her full name will be Susannah Meredith Richmond," Keely announced. Meredith was just so pretty, and fit together with Susannah.

"Your mother and I love it," Stanley said. Meredith did seem better than Audrey and Taylor.

"You forgot that Gretchen's middle name is Audrey," Isabelle reminded her father. She wasn't surprised. Both her parents had to be exhausted.

"I thought we used it before!" Stanley cried. He immediately wished he hadn't. He didn't want to wake up his wife and three daughters. Luckily, the four slept soundly.

"Bye," Danielle said. She was going to go play with Dylan. He was really nice to her. Danielle really liked him.

"See you girls tonight," Stanley promised. He hung up and sat down in the uncomfortable hospital chair. He checked on Lilah, Piper, and Susannah before falling asleep.

XXXXX

"I can't believe Stanley and Mimi ended up with ten daughters," Heather whispered to her husband before they went to bed. Stanley had taken his seven daughters home about two hours earlier.

"You ever think about having another baby?" Jake asked. He was happy with his five, but another baby seemed like a good idea.

"I'm forty-two," Heather pointed out. Mimi may have gotten pregnant in her forties, but it was different for everybody.

"And I've had a vasectomy, but it can be reversed," Jake replied.

"We could adopt like Mary and Eric," Heather said. She was happy with her five and didn't want another baby, though.

"You don't want another one," Jake said in realization. He knew that he and his wife were older, but that didn't really matter. They could do this.

Heather sighed. "No, I don't. We already have five great kids. If we have the desire for another baby, maybe we could steal one of Stanley and Mimi's for a day." Another baby just wouldn't work. She was done having kids, whether it be by adoption or other means.

Jake laughed despite himself. "You didn't even consider it as a option," he accused. Why didn't Heather understand that another baby would be fun to have around?

"That's because we have five kids. We're not Stanley and Mimi, who don't care that they're extremely fertile. We don't need another baby," Heather told him, starting to get angry. Why was Jake being so difficult about this?

"But I want another one," Jake insisted. Why didn't his wife understand that?

"And I don't! Where does this sudden desire to have a sixth child come from? We decided we were done after I got knocked up for the fourth time in four years!" Heather yelled. She was glad that Abigail, Rhiannon, Gillian, and Dylan were with Gail for the night and that Jacob was staying with Emily and Donovan.

"That's because we were overwhelmed at the time! Jacob and Abigail are twelve, Rhiannon's eleven, Gillian's ten, and Dylan's nine. We can do this again!" Jake shouted back. Maybe he and Heather could have another baby.

"I'm still overwhelmed," Heather screamed. Taking care of her kids and working was exhausting.

Jake tried to calm down. "Let's talk about this in the morning and get some sleep," he suggested.

Heather glared at him, but got back into bed and rolled over so she wasn't facing Jake. "Go to bed," she ordered.

"I love you," Jake tried, but he already knew that tomorrow would not end well for him.

XXXXX

Darcy Hawkins smiled at Rob. "What are we going to do when we finally get our kids out of the house?" she questioned. She was so happy that Grace was fourteen and Andrea was thirteen. That meant that they were much closer to be alone when the girls went off to college.

Rob shrugged. "Maybe we could go to Europe." He didn't know. It was a weird thing to think of. He and Darcy being alone was a weird thing to think about.

"I like that idea. I've always wanted to go," Darcy said. She and Rob could go this summer, while the girls visited her parents. They were staying for two months, which had never happened before.

"Do you want to check out countries?" Rob questioned. He wanted to go to Ireland, but had never been sent there for a mission.

Darcy nodded and kissed her husband. "I love you," she told him.

"Love you too," Rob answered. He and Darcy headed for the laptop to check out a few websites before heading to bed.

XXXXXX

Gail Green was glad that her grandchildren were in bed. She had time to think. "Johnston, you would love them so much," Gail murmured. She missed her husband so much. Things just hadn't been the same without him.

"Grandma, what are you doing?" asked Gillian. She had woken up thirsty, and knew that her grandmother would be up

"Nothing," Gail lied. She didn't want to worry her granddaughter.

"Were you thinking about Grandpa Johnston?" Gillian had never meant him, but her dad talked about him all the time and how he was a good man.

Gail nodded. "Do you want to hear about him?" she asked. Gillian nodded and sat down next to her grandma.

"What did he do, Grandma?" Gillian was curious. Her dad always seemed so sad when it came to her grandpa, and Gillian and her siblings didn't like to ask him very often. Uncle Eric seemed sad too, but Grandma seemed to like talking about him.

"He was a good man, Gillian. He loved me, your dad, and Uncle Eric so much. He would have loved to meet all of his grandchildren," Gail explained.

"Did he love you a lot?" Gillian wanted to hear the story about how her grandparents got together.

"He loved me very much, Gillian," Gail told her.

"How'd he ask you to marry him?" Gillian was always up for romantic stories, and that had to be one.

Gail laughed. "He was so nervous. Grandpa Johnston had been planning on proposing for three weeks, and he wasn't sure of the right time. We were eating dinner in my college dorm room when he got down on one knee. Johnston stumbled over his words. Meanwhile, I'm muttering 'Oh my god' over and over again. I couldn't believe that he wanted to marry _me_. Johnston finally got the words out and I literally screamed yes." That had been one of the happiest moments of her life.

"I want to hear about your wedding," Gillian demanded. Weddings were so romantic, and she couldn't want to get married when she was older.

"It was rainy that day, but I didn't care. I was getting married to the love of my life. His mother- your great-grandmother- hated me, but even she was crying. Johnston rushed through his vows, but that was because of nerves. We danced most of the night at our reception," Gail explained.

"I want to hear more," Gillian said after her grandmother finally finished talking about marrying her grandfather.

As the two girls talked about Johnston Green, Gail reflected on the fact that it was the first time in years that thinking and talking about her husband didn't hurt.

TBC


	26. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything else related to the show.

* * *

Two months later, the fifteenth anniversary of the bombs going off occurred. Like always, it was a big day for the United States and memorial services were being held everywhere for the victims of that day, the months afterwards, and the Second Civil War.

"Stanley and Mimi are staying home instead of going to the memorial service," Jake informed his wife.

"They're probably busy with Lilah, Piper, and Susannah," Heather replied. Not to mention the fact of their older kids.

"Isabelle's coming with us," Jake reminded her. He didn't mind Jacob's girlfriend and his goddaughter tagging along.

"Those two are definitely meant for each other," Heather murmured. She hoped Jacob and Isabelle made it.

"I agree." Jake could only hope that Isabelle and Jacob were older when they eventually got married.

The doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Jacob called to his father and stepmother.

"Hi," Isabelle told her boyfriend. She still couldn't believe she was dating her best friend.

"You look pretty," Jacob observed. Isabelle laughed nervously. Jacob complimenting her made her feel embarrassed.

"They're going to make sick," Dylan complained. Heather and Jake laughed.

Heather and Jake had fought over another baby for weeks before deciding together that they were happy with five kids.

"Deal with it," Heather told her youngest child. She couldn't wait until Dylan got a girlfriend.

"But I don't want to," he whined. Seeing his older brother with Isabelle was gross.

"You can go play with your friends after the memorial service is over," Jake promised.

"Okay," Dylan agreed. He liked playing with his friends.

The Greens and Isabelle headed outside for the van so they could leave.

XXXXXX

Gail and Emily were helping to cook the meals for the memorial dinner. They always liked to help with that.

"I can't believe it's been fifteen years," Emily said to Gail. It was a little surreal.

"Our world's never been the same since," Gail answered. She missed the way the world had been before everything happened.

"I was engaged to Roger back then. A lot has changed in fifteen years," Emily replied. So many changes. America still wasn't completely back to normal. They weren't a third world country, but it had taken the economy a long time to recover.

"Have you heard about what he's done lately?" Gail questioned. Roger had been in town while Emily was pregnant with Jacob, but hadn't stayed.

Emily nodded. "When Donovan and I went to Wichita last year, we ran into him. Roger is happily married with a daughter," she explained.

"That's good." Gail had never really liked Roger in the first place, but was glad that he was happy.

"It was such a normal day," Emily said, changing the subject.

"No one was expecting it," Gail replied. She had just been so happy about Jake's return to town that day, even if he had ended up leaving.

"Except Hawkins," Emily pointed out. He still felt guilty about not saving anymore people, but at least New York had been spared.

"You're right," Gail conceded. She had forgotten about that. Being seventy-two was a good excuse for forgetting things, however.

XXXXXX

"I think I'm getting a migraine," Jake complained later that day. The memorial service had gone well. There had been a lot of crying people, just like every year.

"Did you take your migraine pills?" Heather questioned. She had learned early into their relationship that Jake got hit with migraines once every few years.

"It might just be a regular headache," he said. Jake liked to remain in denial about his migraines right up until the moment he hit the nausea stage.

Heather rolled her eyes. She hoped her husband didn't come complaining to her after he threw up, just like he always did. "I'll remember that later," she warned Jake.

"I'm fine," Jake insisted.

"Whatever," Heather said. She went into the living room to watch TV.

Half an hour later, the aura phase had faded and Jake's head was pounding. "I definitely have a headache," he told his wife.

Heather sighed. "You have a migraine, Jake. I know you."

"I just have a bad headache. It'll go away soon," Jake said, trying to remain in denial. He knew where this was leading, but didn't want to think about it.

The phone rang and Jake winced. "Hi, Gail," said Heather. She had just seen her mother-in-law earlier, but Gail had offered to take the kids.

"Hi, Heather. What are you and my son doing?" Gail questioned. She loved bothering the two sometimes.

Heather laughed. "We're fine, Gail," she assured her. She loved how curious her mother-in-law was about her and Jake's life sometimes.

"Your kids are behaving well," Gail explained. She loved taking care of her grandchildren, even though she couldn't handle the Richmonds all by herself. They were very hyper girls.

"Jake has a migraine, but won't admit it," Heather explained. Only Gail could get Jake to admit that he had a migraine before the nausea kicked in.

Gail sighed. "You'll know what's going to happen," she pointed out. Her son had inherited his migraines from Johnston, who in turn, had inherited them from EJ. Gail was skilled in taking care of the Green men when they had migraines.

"I know. Tell the kids I love them," Heather said. She hung up the phone.

Fifteen minutes later, Jake's headache was gone, but he was suffering from nausea.

"I hate this," he moaned. He really wanted the nausea to go away, but that only ended one way.

"I told you were getting a migraine," Heather whispered. Stupid Jake for being in denial.

Jake whimpered as the nausea rolled through his stomach. His hands felt clammy and asleep, two out of many symptoms that he hated.

"You'll be okay," Heather soothed. She hated it when Jake and her kids were sick.

"It doesn't feel like it," Jake said. He really wished he wasn't curled up in a ball right now. That was embarrassing.

"Did I ever tell you that I was sorry for the way I reacted after you said you wanted another baby?" Heather asked. It had been two months, but the fight was still bothering her.

Jake shook his head and immediately regretted it. "I should have told you that I was sorry. I was trying to push you into another baby when we don't even need another one, Heather. I am sorry, Baby."

Heather smiled. "So we're both sorry. At least we're not fighting anymore."

Jake was surprised he hadn't thrown up yet. "I love you, Heather."

"I love you too, Jake." Heather couldn't imagine her life without Jake Green and their kids.

Jake turned extremely pale and bolted to the bathroom. Heather followed him so she could take of her husband.

The Greens could get through anything.

TBC

I have several storylines in the works, so the next chapters will be coming faster.


	27. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

When Jake Green's cell phone rang at 9:30 in the morning, he was at work. He didn't think anything of it at the time. The kids were off school for the day because of in-service (their last day off before school ended in three weeks) and he figured that one of them had hurt themselves. They were pretty accident prone.

"What's up?" he asked, noticing that the call had come from Eric.

There was a sob on the other end of the line. "Mom's dead," Eric sobbed.

Denial was Jake's first response. "You're lying!" he cried. His mother wasn't dead. He had just seen her the night before. She had been fine.

"She died in her sleep. Mary found her this morning," Eric explained, trying to stay calm.

"You're lying! Mom's not dead!" Jake cried hysterically. Mom couldn't be dead.

"Jake, Emily's on her way to pick you up from work. We need to make arrangements," Eric sobbed. He couldn't stop crying since Mary had called him half an hour earlier.

"Why isn't Heather?" the numb Jake asked. His wife should be picking him up, not Emily. What if she was dead too?

"She's too busy with the kids and calming everyone down," Eric said. He hung up the phone abruptly.

Jake stared at the phone in shock. Jimmy came up to him. The other officers had heard Jake's side of the phone call, so they were concerned. "Take some time off, Jake," Jimmy advised.

"I'm going to go home now," Jake told him. He didn't remember getting in the car, but still ended up at his mother's house.

"Hey," Heather said, her voice cracking. She couldn't believe her mother-in-law was dead. Gail had been completely healthy.

"Where is she?" Jake asked. His mom wasn't dead, so he had to see her.

"She's been taken to the clinic morgue," Heather gently explained. Why would Jake want to see Gail?

"She's not dead," he forcefully insisted. Why was everyone telling him this?

Heather and Mary exchanged a concerned look. "Jake, she's dead. I'm sorry," Mary apologized. Why was Jake in denial?

"She didn't suffer," Heather said. That was at least a good thing for Jake and Eric. Gail hadn't been hurt, like Johnston. She hadn't been murdered.

"She's not dead," Jake repeated. He headed up the stairs for his mother's bedroom.

"Jake, I know it hurts, but your mother's dead," Heather told him. What could she do to get that through Jake's head.

"Where are the kids?" Jake questioned. He didn't see them anymore, and that wasn't a good thing.

"Emily took them," she explained. Jacob was staying with his mother, but Emily had offered to take the rest of the Green children for the day so no one had to worry about them.

"My mother is not dead," Jake said. If he repeated it enough times, maybe he could believe it.

"You want to go to the morgue?" Heather reluctantly asked. She didn't know if her husband could handle seeing his mother right now.

"Eric's already there," Mary told her brother-in-law. He hadn't wanted his mother to be alone.

Heather drove her husband to the clinic because she didn't think that he could drive. Jake's denial hadn't slipped away yet, but that would change once he saw his mother.

"Hey Big Bro," Eric said. His eyes were red, but he had stopped crying a little while ago.

"Are you okay?" Jake wasn't sure why he was asking, but Eric looked sad and he wanted to fix that. It was his job as a big brother.

Eric smiled even though it hurt. "How are you feeling?"

"Why are we here?" Jake questioned. Gail wasn't dead, so there was no reason to be at the clinic. Maybe one of the kids was hurt, and everyone was lying to him.

Eric's smile fell and he shot a look towards his wife. Mary mouthed denial at him. "Mom's dead. I already told you that," Eric reminded him.

"You're lying," Jake immediately declared. He didn't believe it.

Eric sighed and let his brother see their mother. "I'm not lying, Jake. Mom's dead."

Jake stared in shock at his mother's body. The proof was right in front of him, but he still couldn't accept the fact. "Mommy?"

Eric nearly fell apart again. Jake hadn't called their mother by that name since the night of their father's funeral, even though he still didn't remember it. "She's okay now," he reminded Jake.

"She won't wake up," Jake told his younger brother. Why wouldn't his mother wake up?

"That's because she can't," Heather gently replied, grabbing her husband's hand. Jake needed her right now.

"But she needs to wake up," he frantically insisted. He needed his mother.

"She's not going to ever wake up again," Eric told him. He hugged his older brother.

"I want her to wake up!" Jake cried. She was a grandmother. His kids needed her.

Mary joined in on the hug. Her brother-in-law didn't need to be in denial. "You two are going to be fine," she comforted.

Jake didn't break down in tears, but that was because he couldn't. He really did feel numb, which hadn't happened with Johnston's death. After his father had died, Jake had cried for a little while and then buried his feelings. This time was completely different.

XXXXXXX

Emily ordered pizza for dinner because she didn't feel like cooking. She had gone to the bathroom for some alone time and had started crying then, but she had to be strong now for her ex-boyfriend. Gail had been like a mother to her. Heather had called earlier and said that the kids could stay overnight, but she and Donovan didn't mind. They loved Jacob's half-siblings.

"I miss Grandma," Abigail said. Death had never personally affected her before. This was a completely new feeling.

"It's okay to miss her," Emily assured her. She missed Gail, and it had only been less than twenty-four hours than her death.

"At least she's with Grandpa," said Jacob, trying to remain positive. He had planned on going over to see Isabelle later, but now didn't feel like it. Besides, his Uncle Stanley and Aunt Mimi were at his dad and stepmom's house.

"They're happy now," Donovan said. He felt emotionally drained.

"I want her back," Dylan declared. It was irrational, but he didn't know that.

"She's not going to be able to come back," Gillian said. She was angry and didn't know why.

"You don't know that," Dylan snapped. Why was Gillian telling him this?

"Dead people can't come back," Rhiannon answered. She knew that.

"Grandma Gail's an angel now, which means that she's being protected by your great-grandfather EJ," Emily explained. It was hard to explain death to younger kids.

"Is there going to be a funeral?" asked the curious Abigail. She didn't want to go to that.

"Of course," Donovan answered.

"Are Dad and Uncle Eric really sad?" Dylan asked. He wondered if they were

"They're really sad, but it's okay to feel sad," Emily explained. Explaining death was exhuasting, especially when you were grieving yourself.

It was going to be a long night.

XXXXXX

Mary Bailey-Green was trying to comfort her husband, but it was a hard task. He was devastated.

"I don't know what to do now," Eric confessed to his wife.

"You're going to grieve and eventually move on," Mary soothed. She hugged her husband.

"Jake really isn't accepting it," Eric said. He hadn't seen his brother acting like this since their father's death years earlier.

"He loves your mother," she replied. Jake had been really close to Gail, and her death was hitting him hard.

"He at lesat cried with Dad," Eric pointed out. Why was it different this time?

"With your father, the situation was completely different. Do you remember how depressed your brother was then? I'm surrpised he wasn't diagnosed with clinical depression." Mary didn't know how she was going to handle the next few days. The funeral wasn't until Sunday, and the burial was going to be on Monday.

Mary kept a hold on Eric as he continued to break down.

Nothing was going to be the same again.

XXXXXX

Jake still felt numb. Heather was watching TV, trying to keep her mind off the fact that Gail Green was dead. This was so surreal. She had expected Gail to live for a long time.

"At least we don't we have the kids," Jake said to his wife. He couldn't handle his children at this point in time.

"They shouldn't be here right now," Heather answered. It was good that Emily had them. It was not a good idea for them to be in such a depressing house right now.

"I don't feel anything right now," Jake reluctantly confessed. Why was he so numb?

Heather wasn't shocked. "It's okay to feel numb, Jake. That's an okay way to grieve. That numb feeling will eventually go away."

"But I didn't feel this way with Dad," Jake told her. He thought his dad's death had hurt, but that was nothing compared to now. He didn't feel anything, but his reaction had been different.

"The way you grieve each time is different." When Heather's father had died from cancer, she had destroyed her entire room out of anger. When her mother had died, Heather had cried and refused to leave the house.

"I didn't want her to die." Jake hoped that he would start feeling something tomorrow.

"I know you didn't." Heather was just so tired.

The two Greens fell asleep about ten minutes later.

The next few days were definitely going to be emotional, but that was expected.

It was still hard to believe that Gail Green was dead.

TBC

* * *

I've been planning Gail's death for a while now. She's leaving behind tons of grandchildren, though.


	28. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

Jake Green was not ready to bury his mother. He still hadn't gotten over his father's death. Unfortunately, Jake didn't have a choice.

"I don't want to go," the sick Abigail whined. She had come down with a cold the day before, and was feeling like crap. She had also taken cold medicine that left her feeling a little bit loopy.

"You have to go," Jacob told her. He had been so serious lately, and Heather was worried about her stepson. Emily was worried too, but Jake and Donovan didn't seem to be. Heather blamed her husband's behavior on the fact that he was grieving.

"He's right," Jake commented. He didn't want to go, but he needed to. Jake hoped that he remembered his mother's funeral. It had been years since his father's death, and he still couldn't remember the funeral or burial. He wondered how he felt back then, but remembered the hours of crying he had done. Before pushing all those feelings down because of the ASA, Jake had cried himself to sleep for awhile. Emily had understood, but had tired of it. Now, Jake was just numb.

Heather suddenly felt like crying and turned her back on her family. She had been randomly bursting into tears since hearing the news of Gail's death. "I miss her," she admitted, her voice cracking.

"We all miss her," Gillian said. She wished her grandma was still alive. Gillian loved her so much, and life wouldn't be the same without her.

"Can we just go?" Jacob asked angrily. He wanted to get this funeral over with, just so everything could go back to normal. Jacob liked normal. Normal was good. He wouldn't have to think about his grandma being dead after everything. He could begin to move on.

"Jacob," warned Heather. She knew that everyone was grieving, but that was no excuse for her stepson's behavior.

"Sorry," he apologized. He didn't know why he was so angry. He hadn't been able to stop crying the night before.

"It's okay," Jake assured him. It wasn't okay, though. He felt numb. Jake hadn't even cried yet. He didn't know why.

"We need to leave," Heather ordered. Her family followed her out to Jake's car. They needed to be at the funeral home early.

The Greens arrived at the funeral home about five minutes later. Jacob went off with Isabelle and Rowan, who wanted to cheer him up.

"Why is he leaving us alone?" Jake asked his wife. He needed his oldest child with him.

"He wants to be with his girlfriend," Heather gently told him. She was worried about her husband.

Eric, Mary, and their children had just arrived. Eric's eyes were red, and it was obvious that he had been crying.

"Hey, little brother," Jake said. He hoped that his brother would be able to get through the next two days. He was worried about Eric.

"Hey, big brother," Eric replied. He wondered if Jake would remember today and tomorrow. He knew that Jake not being able to remember their father's funeral and burial bothered his brother.

"Today's going to be a long day," Heather whispered to her sister-in-law. She and Mary had helped their husbands plan the funeral, and it had been exhausting.

Mary nodded. "I don't know what to do," she confessed. She had spent most of the night comforting her devastated husband, but Mary didn't know other ways to help Eric.

"We just have to be strong," Heather said, although she knew that she'd be disappearing into the bathroom a few times. Heather didn't think that she could be strong all day. That was impossible.

"Good luck," Mary replied. She knew that she was going to fall apart. She had loved Gail Green so much.

"You too." Heather wished that Gail hadn't died yet. Her children had been so innocent, even though they lived in the post-bomb world, and they had just lost that innocence.

"Mom, can we go yet?" Dylan asked. He really didn't want to be here, but he had no choice.

"Not for awhile," Heather told him. She was having flashbacks to her mother's funeral, when she tearfully begged her father to let her go home.

Dylan sighed and went off with a few of the Richmonds.

"I will do anything to help," Mimi said to Jake and Eric. She and Stanley were busy with their ten children, but Mimi had loved Gail Green like a mother. Stanley felt the same way.

"You think you can take my four kids tonight?" Heather asked. They had stayed with Emily and Donovan for a few nights, but it wasn't good for them to spend time in a grief filled household.

"Fourteen kids in one place?" Stanley wasn't so sure of that. It was hard enough with ten kids, but fourteen would kill him and Mimi.

Mimi glared at her husband. "We'll do it," she decided. It was the least she could do. Her oldest kids tended to help out with the younger ones, so that wasn't so bad. Besides, the Green kids were well-behaved.

"Thanks," Heather replied, sighing. At least that took the burden off her and Jake for another night. Emily and Donovan had decided that Jacob would stay with them for awhile, the same way she and Jake had taken Jacob after Olivia's stillbirth.

"You're welcome," Mimi replied. She had already decided that Isabelle and Jacob would not be sharing a bedroom. That wouldn't lead to anything good, even though they were pre-teens.

Karen Maltzy strolled into the funeral home a few minutes later, not caring about the fact that she was Johnston Green's ex-girlfriend.

She had hated Gail Green with a passion, but the woman knew that she had to pay her respects to the former first lady of Jericho. (That really should have been her, but Karen wasn't bitter or anything. Really.)

"Hello, Mrs. Maltzy," Jake said. He had finally gotten the story out of his mother after his father's death about why his grandmother had hated her, and by extension, he disliked Karen.

"Hello, Jacob," she answered. She disliked the hero because of his bad boy past. Karen didn't even care about the fact that he had taken down the Allied States of America and had been involved in the Second Civil War.

Jake struggled to not roll his eyes. He knew that she hated both him and Eric. Mrs. Maltzy always had. Jake had ended up with her for a third grade teacher, and that had been a horrible year. At least now he understood why. "How are you?"

Karen smiled. "I'm fine. I'm also very sorry about your loss." She couldn't believe that she had even showed up. She had vowed to make Johnston's life miserable, which is why she had treated Jake Green terribly and voted for Gray Anderson in the election right after the bombs went off.

"Thanks," Jake replied. He hoped Karen Maltzy left soon. Jake didn't think it was okay for an ex-girlfriend of his father's to show up at his mother's funeral.

Karen moved on to Eric just as the Hawkins family showed up. They had also loved Gail Green like a mother.

"I'm so sorry," Darcy told them. She had been loved Gail so much. Her kids would miss the woman they considered a grandmother.

"Thank you," Eric replied. He was getting so sick of the apologizing. Why couldn't their friends and family just hug them and move on? It was getting annoying to keep saying thank you over and over again.

Two hours later, the first viewing was over and everyone showed up at the Jake and Heather's house for the dinner.

"How are you doing?" Mimi asked her. She was worried about the entire Green family. She considered Heather a sister, just like Stanley considered Eric and Jake brothers.

"I'm okay," Heather lied. She didn't want to fall apart while eating dinner. That seemed really stupid.

"You don't have to lie," Mimi said. She knew what Heather was going through, having experienced grief with her own parents and Bonnie.

"I'll cry later," Heather promised. She just had to make sure that everyone was fed, and then she could fall apart.

"You can cry now," Mimi assured her. She knew that holding back tears didn't lead to anything good. The fall-out was just going to be worse.

"Please leave me alone," Heather begged. Keeping busy was a good thing right now. At least she wasn't thinking about Gail's death.

"I'm here for you," Mimi comforted. She was going to help in any way she could. That was something she was good for.

Heather felt like throwing something. "I can't fall apart right now, Mimi. I want to, but I can't. My husband hasn't even cried over his mother's death yet and my kids aren't doing too well either."

Mimi felt horrible for her. "You don't have to be strong for them. You're not Superwoman, Heather. Jake will understand if you cry."

"Leave me alone," Heather pleaded. She headed for the living room to serve their guests. That was something she could do right now without crying.

Jake was numb, but still worried about his wife. Heather looked like she was ready to burst into tears, but she hadn't yet. He hadn't cried yet, but that was because he couldn't. "Are you okay, Heather?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Heather snapped. She immediately felt guilty. There was no reason she should take her grief out on her husband.

"You're not fine," Jake replied. He didn't want his wife to wear out herself out just because she couldn't face her grief.

Heather sighed. "I'm sorry, Jake. I'm really fine," she lied. Heather was determined to stay strong for her family. That was very important.

XXXXXX

Jacob Green couldn't stop crying. At least he had Isabelle (and all the other Richmonds) and his cousins to keep him busy. "I miss her," he explained to them.

"We all miss her," Isabelle commented. Gail was the only grandparent that she had left, but now that wasn't true. She missed her grandmother so much.

"Dad and Heather aren't acting right," Jacob admitted. His dad was acting really weird, while his stepmother was acting even weirder. He had been with his mother and Donovan for a few days now, but even he could tell that nothing was the same at the Green house.

"They're both grieving. Nobody acts the same way when they're grieving," Rowan replied. She had to write a report on grief for school, and had found out a lot of information about the subject.

"I want them to get back to normal," Rhiannon whined. She hated it when her parents acted really weird like that. At least staying with Aunt Emily and Uncle Donovan had helped out a little.

"It's going to take them awhile," Abigail said. She sneezed. Stupid cold for making her feel like crap.

"At least Grandma's in Heaven with Grandpa Johnston," Gillian pointed out. That was the only good thing about her grandmother dying. Grandma Gail was back with the love of her life.

"That is good," Jacob reluctantly agreed. He missed his grandmother a lot right now. Maybe Isabelle could make him feel better.

"Why aren't we eating?" asked Keely Richmond, suddenly changing the subject. She was starving right now.

Isabelle laughed at her younger sister. "Let's go," she ordered. She was going to help her boyfriend and his half-siblings feel better if it was the last thing she did.

Rowan helped Jacob off the floor, and the kids went downstairs to eat. Funeral food was really good for some weird reason.

"I wonder what tomorrow's going to be like," Abigail said. She wasn't all that hungry, but she definitely needed to eat.

"Probably as bad as today," Jacob replied. He wasn't looking forward to tomorrow. Burying his grandmother was not going to be good.

"You're right," Rhiannon agreed. At least she could pretend that everything was normal after the burial, even though it wasn't going to be.

The kids were handling grief the best they could.

XXXXXXX

Twenty minutes before they had to leave for the funeral home, Heather Green finally lost it. She headed for a closet and slid down the wall. Heather burst into sobs.

"I need you," she wailed to nothing. Heather missed Gail so much. What was she going to do without her mother-in-law?

The door opened. Mimi and Darcy stepped in. "I told you that you should have left all your grief out," Mimi told her. She sat down on the floor with Heather, and Darcy followed.

Heather leaned her head against Mimi's shoulder. "I miss her and I don't know what to do to help Jake," she sobbed. How was she supposed to help her husband if she couldn't handle her own grief?

"You cry and you let Jake deal on his own," Darcy said. That's the way she had let Rob deal with his grief over his sister's death.

"But I need to help him," Heather sobbed. She had this urge to see her husband cry over his mother's death or at least acknowledge that he was hurting.

"Maybe you can't," Mimi replied. She tried to hold back her own tears, but failed. Gail's death had brought back the bad memories of Bonnie's death.

"Sometimes, they need to deal with grief by themselves," Darcy told her. She hoped that Heather understood.

"He told me that he's numb," Heather explained. What if Jake was numb over Gail's death for the rest of his life?

"It's okay that he's numb. That's normal," Mimi assured her. At least he felt something over his mother's death.

"I don't know what to do," Heather sobbed. She didn't know how to be strong for the man she loved.

"Just be there for him," Darcy sobbed. She and Mimi stayed with Heather before the devastated woman composed herself and left the closet.

XXXXXX

During the last viewing, a thunderstorm rolled in. The people that hadn't been at the afternoon viewing showed up soaked.

"I hope I don't get sick," Eric told his wife. Mary shot her husband a confused look, but let it go. Her husband sometimes went for non-sequitors when he was grieving. After Johnston's death, he had talked about dogs non-stop for two hours. Mary had been ready to slam his head against something. That had been the most boring conversation that she and her husband had ever had.

"You'll be fine," she assured him. Mary really didn't want to know what Eric was going to come up with next.

"I think I want a cat," he said out of the blue. Mary rolled her eyes. The off-topic weirdness had already started, and would probably continue for a long time. That was not going to be fun.

"I'll think about it," Mary lied. She knew that that her husband's grief was talking and he didn't really want a cat. Wanting a cat would be over in a few hours or days, knowing Eric.

"I'm freezing," Jacob whined to his aunt. He had gone outside to play tag with his younger cousins and siblings just to have something to do, and the rain had started suddenly.

"Your mother better not see you in that wet suit," Mary commented. She couldn't imagine Emily's reaction. Or Heather's, for that matter. Heather was barely hanging on because of her grief, and Emily was on the end of her rope concerning her grief. Emily had known Gail since she had been a baby.

"This is my old suit. She told me that it was okay if it got ruined," Jacob explained. He hoped that his four parents weren't mad about this.

Mary stared at her nephew skeptically. "Really?" she questioned. She didn't know what parent who would be happy about a wet suit.

"I'm going to go see Isabelle," Jacob told her. He took off to find his girlfriend. He needed to be with her right now.

Mary tried not to laugh. Now was not the time to laugh, even if her nephew was being funny. She would probably end up laughing later, after the day's events caught up to her. "He's so weird," she told her husband.

Eric nodded. "Do you think that we can get a Himalayan?" he questioned. Himalayan cats were really cute.

A confused Mary stared at her husband before she realized what he was talking about. "We'll talk about it later," she said.

XXXXXXXX

Jake was tired. He just wanted to go to bed. Actually, Jake just wanted today to be over. Was this how he felt during his dad's funeral? He wished he could remember. Maybe it was better that he didn't remember his father's funeral. "What time is it?" he asked Heather.

"7:36PM," she replied. Heather felt like crying again, but once was enough. She wasn't going to fall apart right now. She was going to be strong.

"I wonder how many people are going to show up," Jake said. A lot of people had already showed up, but more were coming already. His mother had been well-liked by the entire town. Plus, the people who had been interested in the hero of the United States were also coming. They wanted to meet the hero who had saved the government and had been involved in the Second Civil War.

"Probably a lot," Heather replied. She was just glad that not that many guests had showed up at the dinner at home, but that was probably going to change for the after-burial lunch.

"I love you," Jake told her. He just felt that Heather needed to know. She was the love of his life.

Heather smiled at her. Her husband could be so sweet. "I love you too, Jake." She was still hoping that her husband would start crying soon. It would be good for him. That would get most of the grief out.

Nothing in their life seemed to be going the right way, and that definitely wasn't a good thing. They needed some happiness in their life.

"What are we going to do tomorrow after we bury Mom?" he questioned his wife. He was probably still going to be numb.

Heather shrugged. "I don't know," she answered honestly. Right now, she couldn't think about that.

It would be awhile before everything returned to normal.

XXXXXX

The next morning, it was still raining, but no one seemed to care. They had to bury Gail Green.

"I don't want to do this," Eric told his wife. Burying his mother would make everything real.

"I'm sorry, Eric, but you have to," Mary replied. She didn't want to do it either, but there was no choice in the matter.

Eric sighed, and the five Greens left rather reluctantly for the church. They had to make it through the memorial first.

"I cried myself to sleep last night," Heather told Mimi, Darcy, Emily, and Mary. Jake had already fallen asleep, after the two had had made love. (Or comfort sex, according to Jake. He had said it was for her since she needed it and he was still numb.)

"You had the right to," Mary assured her. She had cried so hard last night that she had thrown up.

Heather sighed. "Jake hasn't cried at all, yet. I'm worried about him. This isn't normal," she said.

"Feeling numb is a perfectly healthy response to grief," Darcy told her. She had felt numb after her mother's death a year earlier, and hadn't properly grieved for three months after the fact.

"I just want him to do something other than comfort me," Heather explained. She loved her husband, but him being numb was scaring her.

"He will eventually," Emily assured her. Gail's death was bringing back bad memories of those horrible months after Olivia was stillborn.

"Everything will be fine soon," Mimi comforted. She really hoped that this day would go by fast. That would be great.

"Our children want to play in the rain," Stanley informed his wife and the other women. Why were his kids and the Greens so weird?

Darcy laughed. "They're just being kids, Stanley. They love the rain. You should know that. You do have ten," she pointed out.

"But Jake and I never played in the rain like this," he explained. Actually, he and Jake had always hated the rain. Now they hated winter because of the one after the bombs, where Jake had ended up pinned underneath his truck.

"All kids are different," Darcy told him. She and Rob knew that from their four. Allison, Sam, Grace, and Andrea all had completely different personalities.

XXXXXX

Twenty minutes later, the memorial service was over and the procession began to head for Jericho Cemetery. Jake had yet to cry, but that was because he was still numb. Heather was still worried about him. She had burst into sobs almost immediately after the memorial had started.

"Gail Green was a wonderful woman," the minister explained. He had met Gail after her two miscarriages. She had come to him to talk during her pregnancy with Jake.

"Of course she was," Eric said. Mary glared at her husband, but he didn't seem to notice. Eric was still going weirdly off-topic in conversations with everyone. Even their own children were confused by what he was talking about.

"Be quiet," she whispered. Now was not the time for her husband to be talking. That was rude.

"Sorry," he apologized. Eric really didn't know what was wrong with him, besides missing his mother. He was worried about his older brother too. He really hoped that Jake remembered her funeral and burial. It still bothered that his brother that he didn't remember their father's funeral and burial, and everyone knew that.

"It's okay," Mary assured him, still whispering. They were really being rude, now that she thought about it.

Heather became so upset halfway through the minister speaking that she bolted back to the car and cried very loudly. Mimi followed her to help, which wasn't easy with several babies wanting her attention.

"You're going to be okay," Mimi comforted. She hugged her sister. It was the least she could do.

"I don't want to be here," Heather wailed. She just wanted everything to be back to the way it was before Gail's death. Everything would be so much easier.

Everyone was beginning to return to their cars because it was time to go back to the church for lunch. "None of us want to be here," Mimi soothed. She didn't know what else to say.

"I'm here for you," Jake assured his wife. Even though he was numb, he could be there for Heather. Jake desperately wanted to help his wife.

"I know," Heather sobbed. She launched herself into her husband's arms, hoping that he'd finally lose it. That wasn't meant to be, however.

"You're okay," Jake comforted. He was glad that he was numb right now. Jake didn't want to cry. That would mean that his mother really was dead, and Jake wasn't ready for that yet.

"No, I'm not," she wailed. Heather wished that she wasn't so naïve. Her naivety had been so helpful before. Of course, she had naïve up until the bombs had gone off in September 2006.

After Heather finally calmed down, the Greens finally returned to the church. An embarrassed Heather had managed to compose herself, and felt better. She was somewhat happy about that.

"I like funeral food," Jacob declared. His siblings nodded in agreement, while the adults gave him confused looks. Funeral food was great, but you didn't say that out loud.

"Do you want to hang out tonight?" Isabelle asked her boyfriend. She wanted to spend time with him, so that Jacob could feel better.

Jacob nodded. "We can play games," he told her. He loved playing games with Isabelle. They always had a great time.

"Let's watch a movie," Isabelle decided. She didn't feel like playing games tonight. That wasn't really appealing at the movie.

Jacob shrugged. "Okay," he agreed. His siblings were going to stay with the Hawkins tonight. He had heard his stepmother asking Aunt Darcy, and she had agreed.

"Are you going to eat dinner with us?" Isabelle questioned. She hoped he did. Isabelle loved eating with her boyfriend.

He nodded. "What are you going to have to eat?" Aunt Mimi probably wasn't going to cook. She had been so tired lately because of the triplets. Uncle Stanley would probably cook dinner or order out.

"Dad, what are we going to have for dinner?" Isabelle asked her father. She knew that he would know.

Stanley stared at his daughter. "Why are you asking now?" He was so confused. They were eating now. Why did she want to know so soon?

"Because Jacob's eating with us," Isabelle explained. Her dad was so weird sometimes. She was curious.

"I don't know," Stanley admitted. He and Mimi were probably going to order out. That was easier than cooking for a dozen people.

XXXXXX

Jake and Heather were alone in the house a few hours later. Everyone had left, and Heather had sent food home with a lot of people. There had just been too much.

"You okay, Babe?" Jake asked his wife. He was really worried about her. Jake had never known Heather to fall apart like that, except for after her experience in New Bern.

"I'm fine now," Heather lied. She did feel better, but wasn't back to normal. She missed Gail so much.

"Don't lie," Jake warned her. He had always known when Heather was lying to him. It was a result of knowing her for so long.

Heather sighed. "You haven't even cried yet," she shot back. Heather desperately wanted to deflect the attention off of her.

"That's because I can't," Jake reminded her. He couldn't help the fact that he was numb. Maybe Jake would actually remember his mother's funeral. That would help him get over the guilt of not remembering his father's.

"You just don't want to admit that your mother's dead," Heather accused. She didn't want to face her own grief at the moment.

"That's because I don't want to," Jake screamed. How was he supposed to live without his mother? She had helped him deal with his grief after he had finally accepted Johnston's death. What was he supposed to do now?

"You need to face this," Heather told him. She wanted her husband to cry. He needed it right now.

"Leave me alone!" Jake cried. He didn't want to believe that his mother was dead because that meant he would have to accept it.

"You know that you're never going to see her again. She's dead! She's never coming back! She's going to be buried with your father!" Heather pushed. She knew that pushing Jake was the only way to get him to break at this moment.

"Shut up!" Jake yelled. Why was Heather doing this to him? It wasn't fair. He didn't want to admit to his mom's death.

"She's never coming back! She won't bake you your favorite cookies! She's never going to see her grandchildren again! You won't get to tell her about your day!" Heather pushed again. She really hoped this worked.

"Leave me alone!" Jake screamed. He tried putting his hands over his ears so he couldn't hear his wife. Jake knew that was immature, but he really didn't care at the moment.

Heather rolled her eyes, but continued to push. "She's with your father! You can never see her again! She's going to die without seeing her grandchildren grow up!"

With that, Jake dissolved into sobs. His knees buckled, and he fell to the kitchen floor. "I want her back," he sobbed.

Heather sat down next to her husband. "She can't ever come back. I'm sorry, Jake," she apologized.

"I miss her," the sobbing Jake admitted. He didn't know how to go on without his mother. She had been there with him through the rough times before he had left Jericho for five years.

"I know you do, Jake. We all miss her." Heather felt so guilty for pushing Jake, but at least it had helped.

Heather got up to reheat dinner about two hours later. Jake was still crying, but not as much as he had been at first.

"Are you hungry?" she asked her husband. Heather was still worried about him. She hoped that Jake didn't dehydrate. That's why she was supplying him with water and making him drink it.

Jake shook his head. His sobs were finally slowing down, but he was exhausted and wanted to sleep. "I'm not hungry," he rasped.

"You need to eat," Heather told him, her heart breaking. Maybe she had pushed too hard, and this was the result.

"I'll eat later, but I'm fine," Jake said. He just wanted to be left alone. Was that too much to ask?

"Eat," Heather pleaded. She was glad that the kids were out of the house. They didn't need to see their father like this.

"Leave me alone," Jake begged. He needed to deal with his mother's death on his own terms.

"I can't do that," Heather regretfully told him. She was going to make Jake eat. That was the least she could do.

Jake reluctantly ate dinner, but ended up throwing it up. He cried himself to sleep. "I love you," he whispered to his wife before his eyes closed.

"Love you too," Heather told him. She went into the house to clean. That was one of the things she did when grieving. Cleaning always helped.

She cried the entire time she cleaned, but Heather didn't notice. It was a good thing to clean. "I hope Jake's going to be okay," she whispered to herself, unaware that she had spoken out loud.

An exhausted Jake woke up around 10:00PM to find his wife cleaning. His sleep schedule was now thrown out of whack, which really wasn't great. "What are you doing?" the weary man asked his wife.

"Baking," Heather explained. After cleaning the house from top to bottom, the teacher had decided to bake even though they already had enough food.

Jake sighed and looked down. "Babe, I've been thinking about something," he told her. It had been something that had been in the back of his mind since hearing the news of his mother's death.

"What?" Heather asked, mixing the brownie batter. She couldn't wait for her kids to taste them.

Jake took a deep breath. "I know you said no to more kids, but what about adoption? Mom's death made me realize that life really is short. Mary and Eric know all about it. We can ask them," he told her.

Heather stared at him. "I'll think about it," she decided. She had been against the idea of more children a few months ago, but was now thinking differently.

Everything was finally getting back to normal, even though grief was still prevalent in the Green household.

The grief would remain for a long time.

TBC

* * *

I knew I wanted this chapter to be long. I was aiming for 3000 words, but everything got away me and I ended up with more than 5000 words. I hope you enjoyed this extra-long chapter. We're going back to 1000 words or more next chapter.

The next chapter will most likely be up tomorrow, I hope.


	29. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show. I also don't own Barbie.

* * *

**June 10****th****, 2025**

Seventeen year old Jacob Green was desperately in love with Isabelle Richmond. They had been dating for years, he was afraid to tell her. "What am I supposed to tell her?" Jacob asked his stepfather.

Donovan laughed. "You tell her the truth, Jacob. It's not that hard." He couldn't believe the way his stepson was acting. Jacob had finally realized he was in love with Isabelle only a day earlier, and had been freaking out since.

"Yes it is," Jacob whined. What if Isabelle left him? That was a very big possibility, and they had known each other for seventeen years. Their friendship would be ruined.

"Talk to your father," Donovan advised. As much as he loved Jacob, Jake would be more helpful than him.

"What are you talking about?" Emily asked, coming into the kitchen. Lorelei and Christopher were behind her.

"Nothing!" Jacob lied. He didn't want his mom to know that he was in love with Isabelle.

Donovan rolled his eyes. "He just realized that he's in love with Emily," he explained to his wife.

Emily tearfully smiled at her son. "That is so cute!" she squealed.

"Not cool," Jacob told his stepfather. His mom got really annoying sometimes when it came to him and his half-siblings.

"Where are you going?" Emily asked her son as he went to leave.

"I'm going to go see Dad and Heather," Jacob explained. He wanted to go over there for the weekend. It was fun being at their house. Not that it wasn't fun being with his mom and Donovan, but the Green household was just more fun.

About ten minutes later, Jacob ended up at his father and stepmother's house. "Will you leave me alone?" Abigail screeched to Dylan. Her younger brother was driving her up the wall.

"I will never leave you alone," Dylan declared. He loved annoying his older sisters. It was really fun.

"Dylan Eric Green," warned Heather. She couldn't wait until her kids were out of the house. Neither could Jake. Five teenagers in one house led to very bad things.

Dylan sighed. "Sorry," he apologized to his sister.

"You're forgiven," Abigail reluctantly told him. She bolted up to her room to watch TV.

"I'm tired," complained ten year old Astrid Samantha Green. Astrid was Jake and Heather's adopted daughter. A year after Gail Green's death, the couple had adopted the orphaned little girl. It had been a rough start, with Astrid lashing out at everyone around her, but she had eventually realized that the Greens weren't going to kick her out.

"That's because you wanted to stay up late," Gillian reminded her younger sister. Of course, part of that had been due to sugar rush.

Astrid glared at her. "I was hungry," she informed her. She had to defend herself, didn't she?

Jacob rolled his eyes at all of his siblings. "I'm in love with Isabelle!" he suddenly announced.

"That's so sweet," Heather told her stepson. She couldn't believe how fast he was growing up. Jacob was going to graduate high school next year!

"You tell her yet?" Jake questioned. The Green boys really weren't all that great upon realizing they were in love with someone. He had practically driven Heather away to New Bern after they had kissed for the first time.

"I'm not planning on it," Jacob admitted. He wasn't about to be rejected, thank you very much.

"Are you scared?" Rhiannon asked. She could understand that. She had been scared to admit that she had feelings for Ryan Marston, a boy in her class, but they were now together.

"No," Jacob lied. He wasn't about to tell them that. He'd be made fun of, which was not something he wanted at all.

"Yes you are," Jake said. He was going to have to have a talk with his oldest child about love, something he had been dreading since Jacob and Isabelle had become a couple several yearrs earlier.

XXXXXXXX

Two hours later, Jacob drove to the Richmond farm. Most of the Richmond kids were outside playing or helping Stanley farm.

"How are you doing?" Stanley asked him. Danielle and Eden were running around, playing tag with each other. The rest of their siblings were playing hide and go seek. The games sometimes intersected, which led to a very interesting game.

"Good, Uncle Stanley," Jacob answered. He was panicked though. Isabelle was probably going to breka up with him for this. Who would he date then? Everyone in school knew that you didn't mess with Isabelle Richmond and Jacob Green.

"Isabelle's in the kitchen with Mimi," Stanley explained. She and Rowan were helping Mimi bake chocolate chip cookies since the Richmonds loved them so much.

"Thanks," Jacob replied. He went up the porch, narrowly missing Analise. The little girl was playing with Barbies at the table.

"Hi," she told him. Analise really liked Jacob. He was nice to her.

"Hi." Jacob wasn't sure if he could handle being his uncle Stanley. There were way too many girls in one house, and they were all different ages.

"Hey you," Isabelle said when she saw her boyfriend. She didn't mind leaving Rowan and her mom to bake cookies so she could spend time with Jacob.

Jacob smiled and prepared to tell Isabelle that he loved her. It wasn't going to be an easy task. "Can we talk in the living room?"

Isabelle nodded. "Of course". She followed Jacob out there. Luckily, none of her siblings were in the living room. Susannah, Piper, and Lilah were upstairs, taking naps.

Jacob just decided to say it. He took a very deep breath. "I'm in love with you and I hope you feel the same way!" he cried.

Isabelle stared at him in shock. "I love you too," she told him. The two began to kiss.

"She's growing up too fast," an eavesdropping Stanley whispered to his wife.

Mimi rolled her eyes at her husband. "She's a teenage girl in love, Stanley. Isabelle and Jacob have been together for a long time," she reminded him.

"You're right," Stanley reluctantly agreed. Mimi returned to the kitchen, while Stanley went back outside to watch the rest of his children.

Isabelle and Jacob sat down on the couch to watch TV. "I'm going to marry you someday," Jacob vowed. He couldn't live without her.

"I can't wait," Isabelle replied. They were too young now, but it would be wonderful to eventually become Mrs. Isabelle Green.

Jacob smiled and turned to watch the movie. So far, this was one of the best days of his life. He couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next.

XXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Abigail Green got up to help her mother out with cleaning the house. She loved helping out. Besides, cleaning was really fun.

"You're so weird," Astrid informed Abigail. She was going to watch TV because there was nothing else to do.

"I just like to help out Mom," Abigail explained. She really wished that Astrid wasn't so young. Maybe she wouldn't be so annoying if she was older.

"I think we should have turkey for dinner," Heather said, ignoring her daughters' conversation. She wanted her house to be perfectly clean.

"That's a great idea," Rhiannon told her. She had such a bad craving for turkey right now that it wasn't even funny.

Everything was going great for the Richmonds _and _the Greens. Nothing was going to tear them apart.

TBC

* * *

The next chapter will be up tomorrow. I've been planning it for forever.

I focused on the Green/Richmonds kids this chapter because I wanted to show something from their POV.


	30. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

**June 17****th****, 2025**

Everything was normal in Jericho, Kansas on June 17th, 2025. It was a great summer day. The weather had predicted sunshine, and everyone was happy about that.

Mimi and Stanley Richmond were alone for once. They hardly ever had any alone time, and when they did, the couple was too exhausted to even stay awake. Isabelle was with Jacob at Emily and Donovan Wilson's house. The oldest Richmond kids were at a Jericho summer camp, which focused on the history of the town following the bombs. The youngest Richmonds were at day care for a few hours.

"It's so nice to be alone," Stanley said to his wife. He couldn't remember the last time he and Mimi had been alone. Probably when Gail Green had still been alive.

Mimi nodded and then sighed. "I'm thinking about going back to work," she admitted. She had become a stay-at-home mom years ago, but now she wanted to be a working mom.

A shocked Stanley stared at his wife. "We have ten kids in this house," he pointed out. It was hard work caring for that many kids, but Stanley and Mimi didn't mind.

"Rowan and Isabelle are going away to college soon. That'll be eight kids in the house. Plus, our eight will still be in school. I can work while they're in school," Mimi said. She had been thinking about going back to work for a long time.

"I think it's a great idea, but I'm not sure the kids will be able to handle it," Stanley replied. Eden, Analise, Piper, Lilah, and Susannah were pretty attached to Mimi.

"They'll need their mother, but I need to get out of this house. Stanley, I can't handle it anymore," Mimi explained. She needed time for herself for even a short period of time. She hoped her husband understood that.

"Baby, I completely understand. That's why I sometimes escape to Jake and Heather's house. It'd be great for you to go back to work," Stanley encouraged.

"So you wouldn't mind?" Mimi questioned. She wouldn't go back to work if Stanley was unsure. Her husband's opinion mattered to her.

"I wouldn't mind," Stanley answered. He was happy for Mimi. She deserved to go back to work.

Mimi giggled, and the Richmonds began to make love.

XXXXXXX

Darcy Hawkins was taking care of Allison's children, which was an exhausting task. She was glad that her kids was older. However, Darcy still didn't know how she and Rob had managed to take care of two babies while also raising a pre-teen and a teenager.

"They wearing you out, Dee?" Rob asked his wife. He tended to spoil his grandchildren, but so did Darcy. Allison and her husband didn't like it too much, but they never said anything about it.

Darcy nodded. "I'm so glad they're napping," she confessed. Allison's two pregnancies had been really close together, just like her own pregnancies with Grace and Andrea. She hoped her oldest daughter spaced out her next pregnancy a little better.

Rob laughed. "Dee, we used to be able to do this. What's changed?"

Darcy glared at her husband. "We got older, Rob. We weren't exactly young when we had Grace and Andrea, but at least we were younger. Now we're grandparents who can't keep up with our grandchildren, despite the fact that we have an eighteen year old and a seventeen year old."

"It has been so long since we took care of little ones," Rob pointed out. He still remembered those horrible sleepless nights after bringing home Andrea. Taking care of two crying babies had not been fun. Rob was glad that Sam and Allison were far apart in age. He also didn't understand how the Richmonds did it. They had to be crazy or something to be raising ten kids.

"You're right," Darcy conceded. At least Allison knew how to take care of her own children from helping out with her younger siblings. It was nice to know that she and Rob were sending their two grandchildren home.

"So do you think Sam's going to propose soon?" Rob asked his wife. Sam had been with his girlfriend for a very long time, and everyone in town was betting on when he was going to propose to her.

Darcy nodded. "I'll think it'll be soon," she told him. She hoped Sam proposed soon. Darcy desperately wanted more grandchildren.

"Grandma," called the Hawkins' oldest grandchild. Darcy sighed and went into Allison's old room to see what was wrong.

The Hawkins family loved the way that everything was going.

XXXXXXXX

Jacob and Isabelle were helping Emily make dinner. Donovan was at the hardware store because Christopher's bedroom door had somehow been broken.

"I think that you two are way too mushy," Lorelei informed her half-brother and his girlfriend. They made her sick.

The two teenagers laughed. "We can't help it," Isabelle explained. Jacob was her soul mate. Her mother had said that she felt that way now, but things may change. Isabelle didn't believe that.

"I love her," Jacob said. He hoped that he was with Isabelle Richmond for the rest of his life. He couldn't wait to eventually marry her and have kids. The Richmond and Greens would be connected for good. What wasn't good about that?

"And I love him too," Isabelle chimed in. She loved escaping to either one of Jacob's house. Isabelle felt calm because she wasn't crowded in a farmhouse with eleven other people. She loved her family, but sometimes needed her space.

"I think it's adorable," Emily said. She just had a feeling that Isabelle and Jacob were meant for each other. They would be together for life.

"You always think it's adorable," Jacob reminded her. His mom and stepmom drove him crazy sometimes with the way they acted.

"You don't have to point it out," Emily muttered. At least she still had Lorelei and Christopher to spoil. Jacob didn't appreciate that anymore.

"Sorry," Jacob told her. He hadn't meant to hurt his mother.

"It's okay," Emily assured her son. She couldn't wait until Donovan got home.

At least everyone was having fun.

XXXXXXXX

Like Stanley and Mimi, Jake and Heather Green were alone. Jacob was with Emily and Donovan, so that left their own five children. The kids were staying with Mary and Eric, so that was a very good thing for the couple. They also loved their alone time.

"I can't believe we're watching TV," Heather complained to her husband. They had already made love, but decided they should do something else.

"That's because we need to do something other than work or raise children," Jake replied. It was nice just spending time with Heather.

"You remember the first time we met?" Heather questioned. She remembered that day so clearly, but so did everyone else.

Jake snorted. "Of course I remember, Babe. That was the day that America changed. I remember driving a bus full of kids and a beautiful teacher back to Jericho."

Heather smiled. "You're still very romantic, Johnston Jacob Green Junior." She couldn't imagine what would have happened that day if Jake Green hadn't showed up to save the day.

"Don't full name me, Heather. And yes, I am still very romantic," he agreed.

Heather glared at her husband. "I can full name you if I want to," she teased. Heather loved the fact that they were still in love with each other. Not many people could say that after more than twenty years of marriage.

Jake sighed. "You want to watch home movies of the early days?" he questioned. They had taken tons of home movies in the past, but that had stopped with five kids under the age of five. Taping had been a little hard to do while constantly soothing babies, changing their diapers, or feeding them.

"Sure," Heather agreed. She loved seeing how much things had changed since her children were little. It was always fun to see her and her husband as young people, too.

Jake got out a DVD that was labeled Jake's Homecoming From The Hospital. He had been in the hospital forever following his car accident that had broken his hip.

"That day is what led to the conception of Rhiannon," Heather commented. Jake's homecoming had been a very good day. That's why they had named their daughter after the doctor that had saved Jake.

Jake laughed. "I loved coming home to see everyone," he said. Jake had still been in pain from the accident, but it had been worth it to see the look on his wife's face.

They popped the DVD in, and his childhood home filled the screen. Jake felt a pang of sadness, remembering both his parents, but quickly filed that thought into the back of his head. He didn't need to be sad right now.

Eric suddenly entered the kitchen, where someone (most likely Stanley) was filming.

"_I can't wait until Jake gets home," Eric told Mimi. He was really worried about his brother, especially because he was still hurt._

"_Me neither," Mimi said. She loved Jake Green like a brother._

"_I missed him," Stanley commented. He wasn't afraid to admit that after hearing the news of Jake's accident, he had come home with his wife and cried until he couldn't anymore. Jake's accident had brought back bad memories of the accident that had killed his parents and left Bonnie deaf._

"_We know you did," Mimi comforted. She had been worried about her husband._

_The door opened. Gail, Jake, and Heather entered the house. "Surprise!" everyone cried._

_Jake looked shocked, but happy._

The DVD stopped there. Heather still hated thinking about the time. She had nearly lost Jake, and that had been one of the worst times in her life. "I'm so glad you lived," Heather whispered.

Jake looked at his wife. "So am I, Babe. But I'm okay. It's been years," he comforted.

"I still have nightmares about what happened," Heather admitted. She knew that it had been years, but that phone call scared her. She had been recovering from a broken ankle or something at the time (Heather really couldn't remember that all that well) and staying with Gail, who was helping out with Gail.

"I'm sorry," Jake said. He wasn't sure what he was apologizing for, but he felt that he had to do it.

"You don't need to be sorry," Heather replied. Her husband had such a guilt complex.

"I love you, Heather Green." Jake hoped that he would make it to his fifieth anniversary with Heather.

"I love you too." Heather really missed her and Jake's kids. She never realized how much her life was devoted to her kids until they were gone for more than a few hours. Stupid separation anxiety.

Luckily for them, their kids came home a little while later and the Greens ate barbeque with Eric and Mary.

The Greens were a close family, and that was something that would never change.

XXXXXX

"I can't wait until I can give Lola the bar," Mary told Eric. She was going to pass on the bar to her oldest child when Lola finally wanted it.

"That's not going to be for awhile," Eric answered. Mary didn't realize that it was Matthew that wanted **Bailey's**. He was too afraid to talk to his mother, though, and Eric wasn't about to say something to his wife.

"I'm getting sick and tired of running **Bailey's**," Mary explained. She had been in charge for such a long time that she just wanted to retire and pass it on to one of her children. She didn't care which, but figured the oldest was best.

"You were sick and tired of it after the bombs too," Eric reminded her. Mary had been so exhausted in the early days following the bomb because everyone had refused to leave, even in the middle of the night.

"That's because I had to stay." Mary was glad those days were behind her. Taking care of people all day and all night had been pretty exhausting.

"I think I want to go to April's grave," Eric said out of the blue. He had only visited the grave of his late wife and unborn daughter once, and that had been after his father's death.

A shocked Mary stared at her husband. "I think you should go," she finally replied. It would be good for Eric. He had never truly gotten over April and Tracy's deaths.

"I might take Jake with me. He's been wanting to visit Mom, Dad, and Grandpa," he explained. Visiting them probably wouldn't be good for Jake, but Eric wasn't about to bring that up to his brother. Jake still sometimes fell apart thinking about their father.

"That's a good idea." Mary wanted to go, but felt like it would be a little awkward, even nearly twenty years later. She didn't deserve April's forgiveness. Even though it had been such a long time since the events that had led to April and Eric's marriage ending, Mary still felt guilty about what had happened.

"Do you still feel guilty?" asked a surprised Eric. He felt guilty, but that was because he thought that the stress of leaving April had caused the miscarriage and her death.

Mary nodded. "Yes, I still feel guilty."

And for the first time since their relationship had started, Mary and Eric talked about the guilt they felt over what they had done to April.

XXXXXXX

**June 18****th****, 2025- 3:05AM**

When the sirens started going off in the middle of the night, everyone in the vicinity knew what that meant.

New Bern citizens headed towards their basements or storm cellars immediately.

Jericho citizens heard the sirens, but had no clue that a tornado was heading straight for their town.

TBC

* * *

The next chapter will be up tomorrow. Look for it.


	31. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

**June 18****th****, 2025- 3:10AM**

By the time that the people of Jericho realized that there was a tornado about to hit them, it was nearly too late.

Heather and Jake hurried their kids outside, to the storm cellar. Despite the fact that it night time, they could clearly see the tornado heading towards town. It could change directions and head towards them, however.

"I'm scared!" Gillian cried. A tornado hadn't hit Jericho since 2019, and she had been young then. This was not good at all.

"You'll be okay," Jake assured his daughter. He hated tornados, but that was just what happened in Kansas. You got used to it after awhile.

"I'm really tired," Astrid complained. She was barely awake, and hadn't really processed the fact that there was a tornado.

If Heather hadn't been so terrified, she would have laughed. "You're going to be okay," she comforted.

Jake exchanged a look with his wife. "This is the only thing I ever hated about Kansas," he complained. Tornados sucked so much.

"Me too," Heather replied, but no one could really hear much of anything over the roar of the tornado.

The tornado siren stopped wailing a few minutes later. The Greens left their storm cellar, and were surprised to see no damage. The tornado hadn't actually passed over them.

"I'm going back to bed," Abigail declared. Despite the fact that she was so tired, the teenager bolted back to her bedroom.

"I'm going to work now. You know the drill," Jake said to his wife. It was standard of the sheriff to go into work after a tornado. That was just the way Jericho worked.

"See you later," Heather replied. She kissed her husband and trudged back upstairs to bed, making sure that her kids were following her.

No one had an idea just how many tornados were about to strike today.

XXXXXXX

"You okay?" Jake asked one of his police officers, Clarence Matherson. Clarence lived in town, and tornados generally tended to hit that area.

Clarence nodded. "My family and I are fine, Sheriff Green. Thank you for asking." He hoped to someday be sheriff. Sheriff Green had held the position for years, and had no intention of retiring yet.

Jake smiled. "Okay, people. Listen up! More tornados may be on the way. Help anyone you can, but if you can't, get yourselves to safety. Safety is key. Calm down any panicked people if you need to. Be calm. Be prepared." He was pretty good in a crisis, and that's what he had learned to do in his years as a sheriff.

His phone rang at 6:59AM. "The sky's getting a little green-ish," Heather informed her husband. After taking care of the horses, she had started to notice that the sky was changing colors. That was never a good thing. It could be a thunderstorm, but Heather doubted it.

"I'm calling over to the news station right now," Jake said. He motioned to Clarence, who bolted for the phone.

"How's clean-up?" Heather questioned. The tornado had been an F2, but that was still bad. Maybe the next one would be an F1.

"It's going well. The Maltinex house is pretty torn up, but that's because a tree fell on the house. There's been no reports of injuries or deaths," Jake informed her.

"Sheriff Green? There's been a tornado spotted in New Bern!" Clarence cried. New Bern had been hit earlier, but the tornado had only been an F1 at that point.

"There's a tornado watch?" Jake asked. Clarence nodded. "Heather, get the kids and go to the storm cellar. I just want you to be safe," he explained to his wife.

Heather was panicked, but knew that she had to be strong for Abigail, Rhiannon, Gillian, Dylan, and Astrid. "I'll see you later," she vowed.

"Love you," he replied. Jake hung up the phone. "There's an F3 heading towards us!" called another police officer. She started up the siren.

"Get to safety!" Jake cried. He and the other police officers bolted to anywhere they could find that would keep them protected.

"I thought you said it was in New Bern," Clarence called. How did it get to Jericho so fast? That seemed a little impossible.

"This one is a new one!" called Kelsey Andrews, the officer who had started up the siren. She had been watching the weather report.

The power flickered on and off once, before finally cutting out. "This is creepy," Jake muttered to himself. He hated when the power went out.

"Is it over yet?" Clarence asked. Nobody paid any attention to him, however. They were all worried about their own safety.

The glass in City Hall blew out, and everyone could clearly see the tornado. It headed down Main Street, though, and avoided them.

The tornado dissipated a few minutes later. "Let's go see if our cars are still there and see if anyone needs help," Jake ordered. He was going to go check on the Richmonds and his family, and then head back to City Hall.

"We're fine. Nothing's wrong," Stanley assured Jake when he showed up. The tornado earlier had nearly hit them, but the second one had been nowhere in their vicinity.

"I just wanted to make sure," Jake explained. He was really worried about his wife and kids. He was making Clarence check in on the Wilson house.

"Before this tornado hit and the power went out, I saw on the news that the entire area is supposed to be getting several tornados," Mimi informed Jake. She wasn't sure if he had heard, so Mimi figured she should tell him.

"Thanks, Mi. That's good to know," Jake told her. He figured now that he should have to be prepared for even more tornados.

"Sheriff Green?" asked Clarence through the walkie-talkie.

"Are the Wilsons okay?" Jake questioned. He hoped they were. Jake would hate it if Emily, Donovan, their kids, and Jacob got hurt.

"Mrs. Wilson is hurt and has a concussion. The house is okay, though," Clarence explained. He hoped that satisfied the sheriff.

"Thanks. Can you go check in on my wife and kids now?" Jake was really, really worried about them. He just had a bad feeling about today.

"Sure, Sheriff," Clarence answered. He headed towards the Green Ranch to make sure that Mrs. Green and the Green kids weren't hurt.

Jake returned to City Hall. He began to prepare for the worst. It was bound to happen. Tornado outbreaks occurred every few years, but they never really hit Jericho. They usually hit other parts of Kansas or other states.

"Sheriff Green, your kids and wife are perfectly safe. The tornado never came near the ranch," Clarence explained upon his own return. He hoped that stayed the time. He didn't want to keep returning to the Green Ranch. That would start to get annoying.

Jake breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe things were starting to improve, but he doubted it. The day would probably get worse.

He was right.

XXXXXXX

Mimi Richmond was outside with her husband around 11:30AM. Nine of their ten kids were inside. Isabelle was talking with Jacob out in the yard.

She was the first one to notice that a funnel cloud was starting to form. She shook her husband. Stanley stared and bolted inside. He ordered the kids to the storm cellar. Mimi, Isabelle, and Jacob were already there and waiting by the time that the other ten Richmonds got to the storm cellar. It was hard getting so many people to there before the tornado touched down.

"I hate tornados so much," Jacob complained. He had already lived through this twice today. How many more times were tornados going to hit?

"I'm really starting to get bored by this," Isabelle admitted. The first two times had been exciting, but now it wasn't.

Mimi laughed at her daughter, despite the fact that she was terrified. Mimi was still a city girl at heart, and that meant being afraid of tornados. "You won't be saying that when there's more," she shot back.

"I fully expect more," Stanley explained. There would probably be several more by the end of the day. It's just what happened sometimes, especially during tornado outbreaks.

Mimi let out a scream as the tornado roared outside. She couldn't help it. It was a natural reaction in her at the moment. Mimi really felt like crying, but decided not to. She had to be strong for her kids. They would panic if Mimi and Stanley were panicked.

"You're okay," Jacob assured her. He didn't know why he was comforting his aunt Mimi, but figured that he should.

"I think we should do something other than sit in here," Isabelle decided. Rowan rolled her eyes at her sister, but no one noticed.

"We really can't do anything except wait it out," Keely pointed out. She was trying to be brave so her little sisters wouldn't freak out.

"Belle, she's right. There is nothing we can do," Jacob told her. He hoped to get home soon. His mom, Donovan, Lorelei, and Christopher were still there.

A few minutes later, the Richmonds (and Jacob) couldn't hear anything, so they went back upstairs. Luckily for them, nothing had been destroyed. The tornado had gone in the opposite direction of the house.

"I love you," Isabelle said to Jacob. She wanted him to know that.

"I love you too," Jacob replied. He was going to go check in on his mom, stepdad, and half-siblings now.

No one had any idea that the day was just about to get worse.

XXXXXXXX

By 3:00PM, the town had already seen three tornados. New Bern had had four, but nobody in Jericho knew that. Their power was still out, and they thought the worst was over. They were wrong, but nobody knew it at the time.

"How are things going?" Heather asked her husband. Her and Jake's kids were currently with the Richmonds because Heather didn't want them to worry anymore. Besides, Stanley and Mimi were great at raising kids.

"We're busy," Jake explained to his wife. It had been twelve hours since the first tornado had hit, and nothing was back to normal yet.

"I figured as much." The sky was sunny now, so Heather hoped the rest was over or thunderstorms just occurred.

"Love you," Jake told her.

"Love you too," Heather replied. She left City Hall and headed back home towards the ranch. She hoped to clean up for a little.

At 3:21, a tornado once again struck town. It wouldn't be the last one of the day, but at that point in time, everyone thought it would be.

"I'm really getting annoyed with this," Jake called to Eric. Eric had stopped by City Hall for a visit, and was now stuck there.

Eric laughed. "So am I, big brother. I hope everyone's okay." Eric couldn't even remember why he had gone to City Hall right now. Maybe it would come to him later.

The tornado picked up a police car- Jake's to be specific. The car would end up in Rogue River, and he wouldn't get it back until three days later.

About ten minutes later, the tornado was gone. It was heading towards New Bern.

"I need someone to go check on my wife," Jake said. He hoped that the tornados were finally over, but that bad feeling still hadn't gone away.

"There's none left!' Clarence called. The tornado had picked up every single car along Main Street. That was pretty awesome, actually.

"Really?" questioned a surprised Jake. How were he and his officers supposed to get around, especially when the citizens of Jericho needed help?

"I'm going to go walk home," Eric informed his older brother. He would check on **Bailey's **on his way home. He hoped that the bar was fine.

"Be careful," Jake advised. He would worry about his brother if Eric wasn't careful. That was part of being an older brother. Jake couldn't help it. He was naturally overprotective of Eric.

XXXXXX

After the fourth tornado of the day, Stanley headed over to the Green ranch to check on Heather. The Green kids had demanded it actually, and Stanley figured that Jake would want him to.

He was shocked to find the Green Ranch completely gone. All that was left was the wood that had built the place.

Heather had come out of the storm cellar, and she was staring in shock at her former house. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked Stanley.

"I'll take you back to my house and go see Jake," Stanley answered. He couldn't believe that the ranch was gone. He had been going there to play with Jake since had been younger.

Two more tornados struck Kansas that night, but the storm system was gone by midnight. Everything could return to normal in Jericho.

It had been a long day.

TBC


	32. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

**September 28****th****, 2025 –A Few Days before Jericho High School's Homecoming**

Both Rowan and Isabelle Richmond were up for homecoming queen, but the two weren't letting it affect them … too much.

"I'm going to beat you," Rowan taunted as she and Isabelle fought over control of the TV remote. She didn't know why she was getting so serious about this, but really didn't care at this moment.

"You're going to lose," Isabelle sing-songed. She also didn't know why she was getting so serious about becoming homecoming queen. It was just high school.

"Isabelle and Rowan," scolded Mimi. She was sick and tired of her daughters fighting. It was hard enough dealing with ten. It was especially hard now that seven out of their ten kids had the flu.

"I'm going to go call Jacob," Isabelle suddenly said. She wanted to talk with her boyfriend. Jacob was going to be out of town soon. He was leaving on Saturday to visit a college that he wanted to attend.

"I'm going to watch TV then," Rowan decided. She had been waiting to get the TV all day, and was not about to be deterred.

"No, you're not. You're helping out your mother and me with your sisters. Both of you," Stanley ordered. He figured they needed an entire army to take care of the sick Richmond family. He missed Bonnie so much, especially now. Bonnie would have loved her nieces and would have loved to help take care of them.

The girls sighed and reluctantly went to help their parents with their sick sisters. It was not a very fun job at all.

XXXXXXX

"I think that you should think about other colleges," Emily told Jacob. Her son was dead set on attending Rogue River Community College, but she wanted him to explore his options.

"I might think about other colleges, but I want to RRCC," Jacob explained to his mother. Lorelei and Christopher were rolling their eyes in the corner, but Emily didn't see it.

"Are you sure?" Emily questioned. She didn't want Jacob to end up regretting his decision to only visit one college. That wasn't a good thing.

"I'm sure," Jacob assured her. Besides, Isabelle was planning on attending a college close by, and they could be near each other.

"Really?" pressed Emily. She just wanted Jacob to be one hundred percent sure. Your college choice was very important.

"Mom!" cried Jacob. He was starting to get really annoyed by this conversation. He was sure on where he was going and wasn't going to change his mind.

"Sorry," Emily told him. She just wanted what was best for her son. Jake, Donovan, and Heather were all worried too.

"I hope Isabelle wins," Jacob confessed to his mother. Her escort was a football player, but that wasn't unusual. The girls on homecoming court always had a football player as an escort. A really nice player was Isabelle's escort. Jacob really liked him.

"Other girls might win," Emily pointed out. She knew from Mimi that Isabelle and Rowan were fighting. Emily herself hadn't been nominated from homecoming queen, but she realized that it was a big deal. Of course, Emily had beaten up the homecoming queen right before Christmas break. Jake had just beaten up the quarterback, and she had been eager to follow.

"I know, Mom. But Isabelle is really well-liked. So is Rowan, but I'm not sure who's going to win. I'm just hoping that at least one of them wins," Jacob explained.

"What do you guys want for dinner?" Emily asked, changing the subject. She couldn't wait until Jacob was out of high school. That meant she and Donovan only had two more kids left at home, and then they could be free.

"Can we have ribs and mashed potatoes?" asked a hopeful Lorelei. She loved ribs. They were so good. It was also one of her favorite meals.

Emily laughed. "I'm sorry, Kiddo, but it's too late for that," she told her only daughter. She felt a pang of sadness at that, remembering Olivia. Even now, Olivia's stillbirth still affected her and Donovan. Lorelei was too young to remember her stillborn sister, and Jacob never talked about it. Christopher knew that he had another older sister, but he didn't really ask questions about her.

"Let's have pizza!" Christopher cried excitedly. He had such a bad craving for pizza right now, and he knew that his mom would probably be happy that she didn't have to cook.

"You always want pizza," Jacob reminded him. His little brother was obsessed with pizza or something because he loved eating it so much.

"We'll decide when your dad gets home," Emily declared. She had no desire to watch her children fight over dinner. It wasn't very fun.

"I'm good with that," Jacob said. He left his bedroom and went out to the living room to watch TV. Lorelei went into the kitchen with Emily, but Christopher followed Jacob.

Everything was going great with the Wilson family.

XXXXXXX

Jake and Heather were busy going over plans for a new house. They were currently living in Jake's childhood home, but there wasn't enough room for all the Greens. Abigail had decided to stay with Eric and Mary, but she just wanted to be with her parents.

"How big do you think our bedroom should be?" Jake asked his wife. He was hoping that they got a big room, but they also needed to think about their kids. They hadn't had that many rooms at the ranch. When Jacob had come to visit, he had to share a room with Dylan. Abigail and Rhiannon had shared a room, while Gillian and Astrid had shared the last bedroom. Each kid now wanted their own bedroom, despite the fact that Jacob and Abigail were going off to college soon.

"We could have our own bathroom!" Heather cried happily. Sharing a room with her husband and children hadn't been fun at all.

Jake laughed at her. "Okay, we'll add a bathroom to our bedroom. But how big do you think it should be?"

Heather shrugged. "We need six other bedrooms," she reminded him. Since all the kids wanted their own bedroom, the house was going to be huge.

Jake sighed. "A seven bedroom house. At least we got money from the insurance company for the ranch," he said.

"You decide on the size of our bedroom," Heather replied. She was going to decide how to decorate the house. That was something to be good at.

"Okay," Jake agreed. Whenever he and Heather had grandkids, at least there would be enough room for them. Whoa, way too early to be thinking about grandkids. He shifted his thoughts in another direction.

Heather had cried for days over the destruction of the ranch, and Jake had been devastated himself. EJ's grandfather had built the ranch, so it had been in the family for several generations. All the kids had been sad too. They had lived there their entire lives.

"I love that Jacob wants to be as far away from us as possible," Heather observed. Jacob had asked for his room to be the last one in the hallway.

"He is a teenager," Jake reminded her. He wasn't surprised that Jacob was being anti-social. He had been the same way as a teenager. Actually, he had been anti-social right up until his return to Jericho.

"I know that. I can't believe our kids are growing up," a sad Heather replied. She still remembered the days of babies and changing the endless amount of diapers.

"Maybe if I hadn't knocked you up four times in four years, we'd actually have younger kids," Jake said. He was still glad that Heather had made him get a vasectomy, however.

Heather laughed. "Probably," she agreed. She still didn't know how she and Jake had managed to survive with so many young ones. It was probably due to Gail. Gail had been very helpful with their kids. She and Jake still missed her.

The two continued to look over the plans for their new house, while struggling not to think about the fact that there were too many people in the current house.

The next few months would go by quickly for them.

XXXXXXXX

Two days later, it was time for Homecoming. Jake showed up against his will because Heather had forced him to go to support Isabelle and Rowan Richmond.

"I hope you win," Rowan sincerely said to Isabelle. If she didn't win, she wanted Isabelle to win. That was the best thing, considering that everyone else on homecoming court were cheerleaders. Rowan hated all of them but her sister and one of her best friends.

"I hope you win," Isabelle told her. She really wanted to win herself, but Rowan winning would also be good. The competitive thing that had been going on for the last few weeks between her and her sister seemed really stupid now.

"The homecoming queen of 2025 is Rowan Richmond," announced the principal of Jericho High School. 2024's homecoming queen put the crown on Rowan's head.

Rowan smiled at everyone. Isabelle hugged her sister. "Congratulations, Row. I love you," Isabelle whispered.

Rowan gave a watery smile to her twin. "Thanks, Iz. I love you too," she whispered back. The girls continued to hug for a few minutes.

Jacob went over to his girlfriend's sister. "Congratulations," he told her. Even though Isabelle hadn't won, he was still happy for Rowan.

"Thanks," Rowan replied. She still couldn't believe that she had won. She had expected Isabelle or someone else on the court to win.

Jake and Heather came down to also congratulate Rowan and offer their apologies to Isabelle. They figured that Isabelle was feeling depressed about the loss.

"Aunt Heather and Uncle Jake, I'm just glad you came," Isabelle assured them. She quickly kissed Jacob when no one was looking.

Stacey Allen, the girl Jake had performed the tracheotomy on so many years ago, came up to the big crowd of people forming near the Richmond family. "Hi," she told Jake.

Jake desperately wanted to get away now. Growing up, Stacey had had a serious case of hero worship for Jake, but now she seemed to really like him. The girl occasionally hit on him. "Hi," Jake replied. Heather and Mimi tried to stifle laughs. Jake seriously didn't know how to react to Stacey.

"How are you doing?" Stacey questioned. She really liked Jake Green. He was so nice to her, and always had been.

"Great," a wary Jake answered. What was Stacey going to do today? He was slightly terrified of the answer.

"You look great," Stacey observed. She walked away. The Richmonds and Greens watched her leave.

"She loves you," Mimi teased. She thought it was cute that Stacey seemed to like Jake so much. He had saved her on that bus, though.

Jacob, Isabelle, Rowan, and Abigail's senior year would pass by quickly, but none of the four knew that.

TBC


	33. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

**June 7****th****, 2026**

Jericho high school students were preparing for graduation later that day. It was going to be held on the football field at 7:00PM.

"I can't believe my son and oldest daughter are graduating tonight," a sad Jake told Heather. In the fall, there would be two less kids in the house. What were they supposed to do now?

"It's the beginning of a new era. Rhiannon will graduate next year. Gillian will follow the year after. Dylan will graduate the year after that. We'll have to wait a few more years to Astrid to graduate, but we're about to be pounded with graduations," Heather replied. She was glad that her stepson and oldest daughter were graduating. It was really good for them.

"Why'd you have to remind me?" whined Jake. He didn't want to think about his other children graduating, when he was barely handling the fact that Abigail and Jacob were about to graduate.

"Rowan and Isabelle are graduating too," Heather reminded him. That was four kids they knew graduating then. Mimi and Stanley loved their oldest daughters, but they couldn't wait for them to get out of the house. That meant more room at the farm, and less kids to take care of.

"Don't tell me that," Jake whined again. That was sad to think about. Four less kids in Jericho was just depressing, especially since he knew all four.

"Where are we going to celebrate?" Heather questioned. She couldn't wait for the graduation, but also couldn't wait to eat.

"**Bailey's**," Jake answered. That's where they always went to celebrate. If no one could find Jake or his family, that's where they usually were.

"Of course." Heather was getting sick of the food at her sister-in-law's bar, however. There were only so many times over the years that you could eat at the same place and not wish that there was different food.

"It's going to be a long day," Jake observed, looking at the clock. It was only ten minutes after noon, and that wasn't a very good thing.

Jake was right. It was going to be a long day.

XXXXXX

The entire day before Rowan and Isabelle 's (and Jacob and Abigail's) graduation was spent with Mimi in tears. Stanley had joked that if he didn't know any better, that he'd think Mimi was pregnant. He had received a glare for that comment.

"I can't wait to graduate," Rowan happily informed her nine younger sisters. Today was going to change her life for good. She couldn't wait to get out of Jericho. As much as Rowan loved the town, she desperately wanted to live. Rowan was glad that she was going to New York for college. The big city would be so much fun.

"You've been waiting to graduate for weeks," Isabelle pointed out sadly. She didn't know why she was so depressed. Isabelle had been in such a bad mood for weeks, but no one had said anything yet. They figured she was just experiencing a little depression about graduating.

"You were too until a few weeks ago," Rowan pointed out. She really didn't know what was wrong with her sister, but she hoped her mood changed soon.

"A major part of my life is changing," Isabelle snapped. She didn't know why she was so moody lately, but hoped that it stopped soon.

Two days earlier, Isabelle had suspected something was up with her mood and had taken several pregnancy tests with her mother there for support. Luckily, they had all been negative. Jacob still didn't know about the pregnancy scare, and Isabelle was going to keep it that way. He didn't need to know. She wasn't pregnant, so it wasn't any of his business.

"Calm down," Mimi advised. She was glad that Isabelle wasn't pregnant, so there was no excuse for her behavior as of late. Mimi really didn't understand her daughter's attitude change, but she hoped that it changed soon.

Isabelle scowled and went upstairs. She felt like being alone, but that was practically impossible in a house of twelve.

"What is her problem?" asked a confused Stanley. Isabelle was reminding him of Jake before he had bolted from town, and that was definitely not a good thing.

Mimi sighed. "I'm not sure, Stanley. But it needs to stop. Rowan, Jacob, and Abigail aren't acting like this. There is no excuse for the way Isabelle's acting." She really needed to talk to Isabelle soon, but she was very busy today. Mimi was really glad that she, Heather, and Emily had decided to merge Jacob, Abigail, Rowan, and Isabelle's graduation party. It was cheaper and would be more fun.

XXXXXXX

At 7:00, Jericho High School's commencement began. Considering that Jericho was still a small town, the graduating classes were small. This year wasn't, however. 125, the most students graduating in Jericho's history, were going to graduate.

The process of getting the diplomas started at 7:45PM. The Richmond girls would have to wait awhile, but Abigail and Jacob were lucky because their last name started with "G".

"Ab's cap is crooked," a giggling Heather whispered to Jake. She couldn't believe that her daughter didn't know, but that was Abigail for you.

"Isabelle looks angry now," Mimi observed. She seriously hoped her daughter's mood improved soon. She was bringing everyone else down with her.

"She'll get over it soon," Emily said. At least she hoped that Isabelle did. She had never seen Isabelle act like this before. Emily hoped nothing was wrong.

"Be quiet," someone angrily whispered in the back of the Wilsons, Greens, and Richmonds. Every single one of them turned to glare at him, and he backed off.

"Abigail Green," called the principal. Abigail had decided to leave her middle name off of the diploma because Isabelle and Rowan had decided to do the same thing. She accepted her diploma, shook the superintendent's hand, and returned to her seat.

"Johnston Jacob Green III," the principal called. Jacob got up to get his diploma. He waved at Isabelle on his way back to his seat, but her bad mood persisted and she ignored him.

"Now we have to wait forever for your kids," Donovan complained to Mimi and Stanley. He was already bored, despite the fact that his stepson had received his diploma.

"Get used to it. We still have eight more kids to go through," Jake told him. They would be back here for the Richmonds a lot.

Donovan groaned. "I forgot about that," he said. He didn't know how he forgotten the million Richmonds, but he had.

Soon enough, the principal got to the "R's". Isabelle and Rowan were nearly ready to accept their diplomas.

"Isabelle Richmond!" the principal shouted. He had no idea how he was going to get through the rest of the ceremony. There were still so many students to go through. Isabelle accepted her diploma, still looking angry.

"Rowan Richmond!" cried the principal. Unlike her sister, Rowan happily accepted her diploma. She sat down immediately and tried to ignore Isabelle and her bad mood.

XXXXXX

Three days later, Isabelle's mood still hadn't changed. Everyone around her was sick of it, but Isabelle wasn't revealing the reason for her behavior.

"I don't know what's wrong with her," Jacob told his stepmother. If Emily couldn't help him out with a problem, he went to Jake and Heather.

"She'll get over it soon," Heather assured him, even though she wasn't sure. Before she had a theory about Isabelle, but Mimi had already revealed the negative pregnancy test.

"I love summer," Abigail sighed happily from her position on the couch in the living room. She couldn't wait to start college, though. She also wanted the new house to be built. The plans had been finalized, but it was still in the process of being built.

"You've always loved summer," Heather pointed out, amused. Despite the fact that it was two days into summer vacation, Abigail and Jacob were proving to be lazy. It was okay though, considering that they were going off to college soon.

"Good point," Abigail conceded. She got off the couch and went outside to just sit. Being outside was really fun, even if they didn't have the yard they used to before the ranch had been destroyed.

"She's so weird," Jacob commented. He loved his sister, but she sometimes drove him crazy. But that was to be expected. Younger siblings were supposed to be annoying.

"Jacob," scolded Heather. She had been weird once. Actually, Jake claimed that she was still weird sometimes.

Jacob had no clue what was about to happen with Isabelle, but he would later realize that he should have seen the signs.

XXXXXXX

By July, Isabelle's bad mood had only worsened. Everyone around her hoped that it ended soon, but they weren't sure that it would.

"What is your problem?" Jacob finally asked one day. He was sick and tired of Isabelle's attitude. It was starting to drive him up the wall.

Isabelle sighed sadly. "I think we should break up," she announced suddenly.

Jacob stared at his girlfriend in shock. "What?"

"We both know this relationship isn't going to last. We're going to two different colleges. High school relationships don't last past college. They never do. Look at Aunt Emily and Uncle Jake."

"First of all, you can't compare us to Mom and Dad. They were horrible for each other and both of them knew it. Second of all, who says our relationship isn't going to last? Plenty of high school relationships have lasted past college," Jacob tried. He was thisclose to begging Isabelle not to leave him.

"I've already made up my mind," Isabelle said sadly. This had been bothering her since right before graduation, and didn't know why she hadn't brought it up before.

Jacob sighed. "Isabelle Richmond, I love you more than anything. You're my soul mate. We should at least wait until college to make a decision. Baby, I don't think I can live without you. " He was desperately close to falling apart right now.

Isabelle stared at him. "I love you too, Jacob. I'll give this relationship another chance," she decided.

Jacob laughed and kissed her. The two began to make out. For the first time in months, Isabelle felt happy.

The next few years would pass by quickly, but that was the way life happened in Jericho.

TBC

* * *

This fic is nearly over. I'm only doing forty chapters. Chapter forty may be the epilogue, but I'm not sure yet. Look for a new update soon.


	34. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

**August 29****th****, 2030**

Isabelle Richmond, only several months graduated from college, was glad to have found a job in Jericho. Except for summer and holiday breaks, she had missed the small town she had grown up in.

"What are you thinking about?" Jacob asked his girlfriend. He couldn't wait to eventually marry her, but everyone around them said they were still too young.

"Just thinking about what we're going to do tonight," Isabelle replied. She and Jacob had decided to go to the local movie theater. They would then go home. After graduating, the two had found their own apartment to live in. It was two bedrooms, for their eventual first child. While Isabelle wasn't pregnant, and she and Jacob were' t planning on having kids yet, the two had discussed their plans. Because of their large families, both had decided to go for only two children, with the age difference of three years. The two to three year difference had seemed to work out for the Richmond family.

"I know what we're going to do tonight," Jacob told her. Isabelle laughed. She loved Jacob Green so much, and couldn't imagine her life without him.

"I love you," she told him. Isabelle would never get tired of telling him that.

"I love you too, Belle." Jacob couldn't wait to see the way their life together headed.

"Do you think we could go over and watch my siblings soon?" Isabelle questioned. They had just gone back to school, thrilling her parents. Mimi said that being alone in the house was nice, and so was going to work. Summers at the Richmond farm were extremely busy and chaotic.

Jacob loved his girlfriend's sisters. He really did, but it was hard being with all of them at once. Luckily, Keely was in college. Since Isabelle and Rowan had just graduated, there were three less people in the farm. Stanley had said that he could actually breathe a little now that there were fewer people, but he missed his oldest three daughters. "Maybe, Belle. I'm not sure what my hours at work are going to be."

Isabelle looked thrilled. As much as she loved her sisters, she needed her space a lot. That was the mean reason she wanted only one or two kids. "Okay. That's fine," Isabelle assured her boyfriend.

"I have to get back to work," Jacob said suddenly, as he checked his watch. Lunch had been fun with Isabelle, but work was also important.

"See you later!" Isabelle called. She had the day off, and decided to head over to _Gracie's Market_. She needed to buy some food for the apartment.

XXXXXXXX

Jake Green was old. He knew this. He was just being stubborn and refusing to retire from his position as sheriff. "I'm fine," he insisted.

"You have a bad hip and it's time to retire," Heather pointed out to her husband. Her husband's hip had been fine before, after the accident. It had only hurt when the weather was bad. Now that Jake was aging, his hip was starting to hurt more.

"I like my job," Jake whined. He loved being sheriff. So what if his hip was bad? He could still continue to work.

"It doesn't matter. It's time. You've worked as the sheriff of Jericho for twenty-two years. That's long enough Jake," Heather tried. Hopefully, Eric, Mary, or the kids would be able to get to Jake. She wasn't getting through at the moment.

"I'm not ready yet," Jake insisted, trying to hold on to his job. He was still doing great. There was hardly any crime in Jericho, except for speeders and the occasional domestic disturbance, but everything was fine. He could work.

"It's time," Heather insisted. She didn't want to worry about her husband anymore. Jake's position as sheriff needed to go to someone else.

Jake sighed. "I'll think about retiring," he promised. He really did love his job and that would be hard to give up.

"That's all I ask." Heather felt a little better now that she had gotten her husband to at least think about retiring.

"Do you want to go out to dinner tonight?" Jake asked. He wanted to take Heather out to eat just so she wouldn't have to cook.

Heather shrugged. "I'd rather stay in. Maybe we can get food delivered," she suggested. At least she could stay in her pajamas and not have to go out.

"I'll agree to that." Jake didn't really feel like going out either. It was just better to stay in. That was just easier.

Just as Heather picked up the phone to order, Dylan and Astrid came into the house. Astrid was the only one staying at home, but Dylan had come home just for the day.

"We're hungry," Astrid explained to her parents. She and Dylan had gone to the mall to shop, but decided not to eat there.

"Your mother's ordering food," Jake told his son and daughter. He knew that the kids would end up eating whatever Heather got.

Jake would make his decision about retiring soon.

XXXXXXX

Stanley and Mimi Richmond loved their huge family, but sometimes they needed space from them. That's why they had left daughter Danielle in charge of her younger sisters just for the night. "It's nice being with you," Mimi confessed.

"So do I," Stanley replied. He couldn't wait until the kids were in bed tonight. He and Mimi could have tons of fun.

Mimi looked at him. "Have you ever regretted having ten kids?" she questioned. Mimi had always wondered what her husband thought about their large family.

Stanley shook his head. "I never expected to have ten kids, but I'm glad we did. I don't even regret the fact that we had no sons. We were meant to have ten daughters. Do you regret having ten kids?"

"No, I don't. It was hard raising the girls, but we made it this far. Our youngest daughters are ten years old. Can you believe that? It seems like just yesterday that I was pregnant with Isabelle and Rowan. Do you remember how excited we were when we found out I was pregnant? We had been trying for a few months, and I came running out to you," Mimi remembered. She and Stanley had been so young then. They had been terrified of having twins, but they had gotten over their fears by the time that the girls had been born.

"Do you think we should have had more kids?" Stanley questioned. He knew that ten kids were enough, but maybe they could have had more.

Mimi shook her head. "I think we had enough, Stanley. I think more would have killed us," she explained. With Isabelle, Rowan, and Keely out of the house, cooking was a little easier. The girls left at home were all teenagers, except for Eden, Analise, Piper, Susannah, and Lilah. Mimi was just glad that they were out of the diaper stage. She had a feeling that she and Stanley would suffer from empty nest syndrome once Analise, Susannah, and Lilah moved out.

"Now we have grandchildren to look forward to," Stanley joked. He knew that Isabelle would eventually end up marrying Jacob Green, and the Richmond and Green families would have be forever connected.

Mimi smiled. "I can't wait," she confessed. Mimi would love being a grandmother. That would be the best job she would ever get besides wife and mother.

Stanley and Mimi headed back to their farm and bolted to their room. They began to make love. Twenty-three years of marriage and ten daughters hadn't damaged that part of their marriage.

XXXXXX

Rowan Richmond couldn't wait until she was home in Kansas. As much as she loved being on vacation (now her honeymoon), Rowan loved her small town. Rowan had eloped to Vegas with her boyfriend of four years, David Cooper. After going back to Jericho, Rowan was going to become Rowan Cooper. "What are you doing?" an amused Rowan asked David.

"I'm playing with the games they have here," David explained to his new wife. He and Rowan hadn't told anyone they were getting married. David had proposed three days ago, and Rowan had decided on eloping to Vegas.

"You're such a nerd," Rowan replied. She felt nauseated for a brief second, but that feeling went away quickly.

"Are you okay?"David asked. He was worried about Rowan. She hadn't been feeling well for the past few days.

"I'm fine," Rowan assured him. She had a feeling about what was wrong with her, but wasn't going to confirm anything until she got home.

Either way, things were about to change once they returned to Jericho.

TBC

* * *

After this is over, I'm planning on revealing the storylines I cut out. I'm hoping to finish this fic by the end of the week. I've been working on it for so long.


	35. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

Jake had made his decision on whether or not to continue being sheriff of Jericho. He had asked for the advice of both Stanley and Eric. "I've made up my mind on retiring," he told his wife.

"What'd you decide?" the nervous Heather questioned. She wasn't sure what her husband was going to decide, and was still worried about the answer.

Jake took a deep breath. "I'm going to retire. It's time." He knew that this was the right decision. Jake had been sheriff for twenty-years and it was better to leave now.

Heather sighed in relief. "I'm so happy." She kissed her husband. Heather hoped that Jake really meant it about retiring. She would feel so much better after he left.

"I'll make the announcement today, and start the process as soon as possible," Jake explained to her. There would have to be a replacement before he left. That was important.

"That's great," Heather assured Jake. She was planning on retiring soon herself, and maybe they could travel. They'd have to take Astrid with them, but that'd be okay.

"So what are we going to do after I retire?" Jake asked. He wouldn't know what to do with himself. He had been nothing but busy since returning to Jericho in September 2006. He had helped out a lot in the town. Then, he had been busy helping Hawkins and being sheriff. Afterwards, he had been involved in the Second Civil War. Immediately after returning, he had become sheriff again. It was going to be hard to just sit and be still.

"We could travel," Heather suggested. It was a good idea, but she wasn't sure if Jake would like that idea.

"We could do that," he agreed. Traveling did seem like it would be fun, but Jake was unsure if they could handle it, especially since they still had Astrid.

"I can't believe that we're talking about traveling," Heather mused. She never thought that this day would come. It felt nice.

"I can't believe I'm going to retire." Jake hadn't even considered the idea once in his twenty-two years as sheriff of Jericho until Heather had brought the subject up.

There were a lot of changes ahead for the Green family.

XXXXXXX

Mimi and Stanley stared at Rowan and David in shock. "You got married?" Mimi asked again. She still couldn't believe it.

Rowan and David nodded. "We love each other so much, Mom and Dad. We couldn't wait. This was the right decision," Rowan explained to her parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Richmond, your daughter means the world to me. I can't live without her. She's my soul mate," David told them. He meant it. Rowan was the love of his life.

"At least we have one less wedding to pay for," Mimi pointed out to her husband. She and Stanley had freaked out about paying for ten weddings at one point in time, but the elopement was a blessing in disguise.

"That is true," Stanley conceded. He was unhappy about missing Rowan's wedding, but he was glad that it meant one less wedding he and Mimi had to pay for. Come to think of it, he hoped their nine other daughters eloped. That would save them a whole lot of money.

"Congratulations, little girl," Mimi told her daughter. She gave Rowan a hug and struggled to hold back the tears.

"Thanks, Mom." Rowan tried not to cry either, but failed. She began crying into her mother's shoulder. Mimi began crying with her daughter.

"I'm glad you're my son-in-law," Stanley said to David. He reluctantly shook his hand. David was going to pull his father-in-law in for a hug, but decided against it.

"Thank you, Mr. Richmond," he answered. David wanted to call them by their first names, but figured that it was impolite.

"You can call us by our first names," Mimi assured him. She liked David. He was so nice, handsome, and polite.

"Thank you," David replied. He was glad that Stanley and Mimi seemed to like him. He didn't know he did of his in-laws hated him.

"Can I talk to you alone?" Rowan asked Mimi. She desperately needed to talk to her mother in private. It was important.

"Sure." Mimi followed her daughter out to the kitchen. She didn't know why her daughter needed to talk to her.

Rowan was panicked about what she was going to say. How could she phrase this the right way? This was scary. And awkward. "I think I'm pregnant," she finally and reluctantly admitted.

Mimi almost squealed. "Are you sure?" Her daughter was only twenty-two, but that didn't mean that she couldn't be a good mother.

Rowan shook her head. "I haven't taken a test yet. I'm going to make an appointment with my doctor for as soon as possible. I haven't even told David yet," she explained. How could she and David take care of a baby? They had married, but they were still young.

"Take a pregnancy test. No matter the result, make an appointment immediately. Tell David. He should know, even if you're not pregnant," Mimi advised. She might be a grandmother in several months. That was both scary and exciting.

"I could be a mother," Rowan said, finally realizing what could happen to her. She had been thinking about the fact that she could be pregnant ever since she and David had eloped, but it might be real soon. That was terrifying.

"Go take a test, Ro. Tell David before you go. He'll want to know. Congratulations again on getting married." Mimi hugged her again. She couldn't wait to see her other daughters' reaction to Rowan's news. Isabelle would probably be hurt that her twin had kept this news from her, but that would hopefully blow over immediately.

There were to be many changes in the future for the Richmond family, too.

XXXXX

Isabelle and Jacob couldn't wait until it was time for the holidays. Despite the fact that it was only August, they wanted Thanksgiving to come. Both were craving turkey. "Mom and Dad want us over for dinner tomorrow," Jacob told his girlfriend.

"I love dinner with your family," Isabelle said. She snuggled with her boyfriend. Isabelle loved him so much. She hoped that nothing bad ever happened between them.

"Dinner with your family's nuts," Jacob replied, laughing. He remembered some epic Richmond family dinners that had ended with food fights.

"What do you think it'll be about?" Isabelle asked. She snuggled in closer. Isabelle was freezing for some reason. She hoped that she wasn't getting sick.

Jacob shrugged. Isabelle went to protest, but didn't have the energy to. "Maybe Mom and Dad just want us for dinner. Maybe they have important news. I don't know." He hoped that it wasn't bad news.

Isabelle sneezed. "I think I'm getting sick," she whined. Stupid colds. They drove her crazy. She felt like crap whenever she was sick.

"I hope not," Jacob replied. He hugged her tighter. He'd probably end up getting sick too. That's the way things worked between him and Isabelle. Either he or Isabelle would get sick because of one of their siblings, because sickness spread like wildfire through the Greens and Richmonds, and then they'd get the other sick. It always happened that way.

Isabelle sighed. She couldn't wait to find out what happened in the next few months.

There weren't that many changes in store for Jacob and Isabelle. Things would stay the same for them.

TBC


	36. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

A nine months pregnant Rowan Cooper was miserable. She couldn't wait to give birth. She was having a son, thrilling Stanley and Mimi. As much as they loved their daughters, they couldn't wait for the arrival of their grandson. "You're never touching me again," the angry Rowan said to her husband.

David laughed. "You won't be saying that in a few months," he said. He really wished that the hadn't said that when his wife glared at him.

"I hate you," she seethed. Rowan was sick and tired of being pregnant. She didn't know why her mother had willingly done this so many times.

"I love you," David replied, trying not to let his wife's mood affect him. He hoped that their son was born soon. He couldn't handle this anymore.

Rowan sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be like this," she apologized. Rowan really didn't know when the baby would be born, but she hoped that labor would start in the next few hours. That would be nice. Really nice.

"It's okay," David assured her. He knew that this was normal. Stanley, Jake Green, and Donovan Wilson had warned him about this.

"You're so good to me," Rowan said happily. She was so glad to have married him. David was the man she was meant to be with.

"That's what I'm here for," David replied. He was going to help out his wife as much as he could once the baby arrived. He would be a good husband and father once his and Rowan's son arrived.

Rowan laughed. "You're such a dork, David. I hope our son is a dork like you." She really did. Rowan loved how much of a dork that David was.

Their family would be completed with the arrival of the son. Because Rowan had grown up with so many siblings, she only wanted one child. There was a possibility for a second, but Rowan and David would talk about that once the subject came up. Or she got knocked up on accident again. Didn't matter which.

Their son was about to make their arrival soon, but the two didn't know how soon.

XXXXXX

Jacob Green was at Emily and Donovan's house, but Jake and Heather were also there. They were visiting for the day. The recently retired Jake was going nuts because he had nothing to do.

"Do you think that Rowan will have the baby soon?" Emily asked Jacob. She knew that Isabelle was sticking close to her twin because of the arrival of her nephew.

Jacob shrugged. "I know from Belle that Rowan's miserable, but the baby is showing no signs of being born yet," he explained. He was already being called the baby's uncle, even though he and Isabelle weren't miserable.

"I remember those days," Jake sighed. He had always been so jittery during the last month of Heather's pregnancy. (and Emily's too, when she had been pregnant with Jacob.)

"We had a lot of those days," Heather commented. She remembered being exhausted and miserable during the last few week of her pregnancy. It had been especially hard with babies, toddlers, and younger kids.

"I was practically spastic then," Jake remembered. He had been way too nervous right before the arrival of a new baby. He couldn't help it. His mother had told him that his father had been the same way before the births of him and Eric. But Jake could understand that. His mother had suffered two miscarriages before, and things could have gone wrong.

"Donovan was surprisingly calm," Emily said. The only time he hadn't been calm was during her pregnancy with Christopher. Neither had she. They had both been worrying about a miscarriage, problems with the pregnancy, such as what had occurred with April, and another stillbirth. Christopher had come out healthy, however. Afterwards, Emily and Donovan realized they were done. Three kids were enough. Besides, they couldn't handle the stress of another pregnancy.

"It was a front," Donovan told them. He had been panicked during Emily's pregnancies with Lorelei, Olivia, and Christopher. He hadn't known Emily all that long when she had given birth to Jacob, but he had been panicked that she would go into labor when with him.

"I knew that, Donovan." Emily had always known what her husband acted like when he was scared, except for those horrible months after Olivia was stillborn.

"I think I'm going to propose to Isabelle soon," Jacob announced. Everyone turned to stare at him in shock.

"You're proposing?" asked a happy and surprised Heather. She had always known that Jacob would propose soon, but she never figured that it would be this easy.

"I'm ready and I think she is too," he explained. Jacob loved Isabelle. He couldn't wait to make her Mrs. Isabelle Richmond- Green. Or just Mrs. Isabelle Green. Jacob wasn't sure if she was going to keep her last name.

"This is so exciting!" Emily squealed. She couldn't wait for Isabelle Richmond to become her daughter-in-law. This was something she had always dreamed of. She had always known that Isabelle and Jacob would end up together.

"Congratulations, kiddo," Jake told him. He was so proud of his son. Jacob and Isabelle may be young, but they had been together for so long. They were supposed to be together.

"She'll say yes," Donovan assured his stepson. He had always hoped that Isabelle Richmond would become his stepdaughter-in-law.

"I love her so much," Jacob admitted. Isabelle had been his best friend, and always would be. They would be wonderful married.

Changes were coming for everyone in Jericho, and they were all good changes.

XXXXXXX

Mimi and Stanley had decided to go on a weekend trip to Vermont. They were staying at a bed and breakfast, but anxiously awaiting the birth of their grandson. They hoped he would be born soon.

"I'm worried about her," Mimi told Stanley. What if Rowan went into labor and she and Stanley weren't there? Her little girl might need her. What if something went wrong?

"She's going to be fine," Stanley comforted. He knew this trip was a bad idea from the moment that Mimi had suggested it.

"She's going to need her mommy," Mimi whined uncharasterically. She wanted to be in the delivery room with Rowan, even though her daughter had claimed that only David was going to be allowed in.

"Mi, let's just enjoy our weekend and relax. One of the girls will call if Rowan goes into labor," Stanley tried. He just wanted to have fun with his wife, and so far that wasn't happening.

Mimi sighed. "Okay," she reluctantly agreed. Mimi had to calm down. Rowan wasn't going to go into labor yet. It wasn't time for her grandson to be born.

As Stanley and Mimi began to make love, they had no idea that Rowan had just gone into labor.

TBC


	37. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

Rowan and David Cooper stared at their daughter in love and shock. They had been told after the ultrasound that they were having a boy, but it had been wrong. "We only had a boy name," Rowan complained to her husband.

"Joshua really isn't a good name for a girl," David agreed. He was now glad that the nursery was gender neutral. Mimi had insisted on it.

"I've always loved the name Alexandra," Rowan said. She had wanted the name Alexandra for a younger sibling, but that had never happened.

"Alexandra Mimi Cooper," David suggested. Alexandra was a pretty name. They could get several nicknames out of that.

"Our little Ally," commented the wistful and now exhausted Rowan. She had been in labor for twenty-seven hours. The long labor, combined with the hatred of her pregnancy, had Rowan deciding that this would be her and David's only child. Ally was enough for them.

"She's beautiful," David replied. This was his and Rowan's Ally. A little girl that they had created together.

"I can't believe we made her. We actually created life." This was one of the greatest moments of Rowan's life. She now understood why her parents had had so many kids.

"We're parents," David suddenly realized. He couldn't believe it had taken him this long to realize that.

"Do you agree that we're done?' Rowan questioned. She wanted to make sure before David went in before a vasectomy he had willingly decided to get.

David nodded. "We're young, but I know this is the right decision. Ally is our little miracle. We have a child. That's a really great thing."

Rowan, David, and Alexandra Cooper had just formed a family that would be together forever.

XXXXXX

Three weeks later, it was time for Jacob to propose to Isabelle. A lot of things had been occurring lately, and they had been so busy. He knew that it was the right time to ask Isabelle to marry him.

"Are you nervous?" Jake asked his son. He could hardly believe that this day had arrived. His oldest child was going to propose to his girlfriend. Jake really felt old now.

"I wasn't until now," Jacob told him. Why was his father trying to freak him out? Not cool at all. Stupid fathers who got you nervous.

Jake laughed. "Sorry, Kiddo. It's my job as a father to freak you out. And embarrass you, but you already knew that one." Jake had tended to embarrass his son when Jacob had been younger. That had made for some interesting pre-teen years.

"Stop doing that to him," Heather scolded, struggling not to laugh herself. Her husband was being an idiot, and that was not good for Jacob right now.

"You're growing up so fast," Emily wistfully told him. She could still remember the day that she had given birth to her son. She had ended up breaking Jake's hand, something he still brought up to this day.

"Mom," he whined. He was getting sick of his mother and Heather being emotional these past few weeks. New grandparents Stanley and Mimi had also gotten emotional, but Jacob blamed that on Ally. She had screwed up Stanley and Mimi's emotions in a big way. A happy way, but still a big way.

"It's my job to overreact," Emily said, trying to defend herself. She couldn't help it if she started crying over the fact that her son was potentially going to get married soon.

"It is," Heather agreed. Jacob wasn't even her biological son, and she wanted to cry herself. She really didn't want to see Jake's reactions when the girls eventually got engaged. He would most likely freak out.

"Can you guys just leave me alone?" Jacob pleaded. He would freak out less if everyone just left him alone. He'd feel better.

"I can't believe you're going to get married," Emily commented, starting to overreact again. Her son had been growing up so fast lately, and that was a tough thing to handle.

"You're really freaking me out!" Jacob cried. He needed to get out of the house right now. He got up from the chair and went to leave.

"Where are you going?" Donovan asked. He knew how excited and nervous his stepson had to be right now. Donovan knew the feeling. He had experienced it before proposing to Emily.

"I'm going somewhere to think," Jacob explained. He left the house slowly, but bolted out to the car. He peeled out of the driveway quickly.

"I think we scared him," Heather told Jake. He nodded in agreement. He and Heather had had a shotgun wedding, so there had been no time to really propose. They loved each other, but with the baby coming, had decided together to immediately marry. It had been a good decision. He and Heather were still happy.

"We're getting really old," Emily complained. Why couldn't she be younger again? Her teenage years had been horrible, but her twenties had been okay. She had been thirty-two when the entire world had changed, and that had not been a really great six months. There had been no power and there had been the battle with New Bern, which had resulted in Johnston Green's death.

"I like being older," Jake replied. He hurt a lot more, especially because o

of the accident that had nearly killed him, but he loved the fact that his and Heather's children were older. He loved being married so long to his wife.

"You would," Heather answered. Donovan and Emily began laughing. They appreciated how much Heather and Jake loved each other.

Change was still coming for the Greens.

XXXXXX

David and Rowan Cooper were visiting her parents and sisters with three week old Ally in tow. Mimi and Stanley couldn't stop holding their new granddaughter. "I remember when you and Isabelle were this age," Mimi told her daughter. She and Stanley had been exhausted and sleep-deprived when the girls had been three weeks old, but she still remembered that.

"She keeping you two up?" Stanley questioned his son-in-law. David looked at him sleepily, not really comprehending the question.

"We're exhausted," Rowan admitted. She couldn't remember the last time she had been able to sleep through the night. The end of her pregnancy had also resulted in sleepless nights. At least David had been able to sleep at that point.

"I can't think straight," David said, yawning. Wait, what he and everyone else been talking about? Stupid memory and nights without sleep.

"That's normal," Mimi told him, smiling when Ally stirred, but continued to sleep. She adored Ally so much, and also loved the name. Alexandra was such a beautiful name. She was glad that she and Stanley hadn't used it, however. They loved all ten of the names that they had chosen.

"What were we talking about?" Rowan questioned. She was so tired, and just wanted to go to bed. Sleeping was something she missed. A bed was fun too.

Mimi and Stanley exchanged an amused look. "Why don't you two go take a nap? Your father and I will watch the baby. We won't let anything happen to her," Mimi promised. She wouldn't mind taking care of the babies. She sort of missed having them around.

"Okay," Rowan agreed quickly. Stanley and Mimi left the living room, Stanley having taken the baby off of his wife, and the two new parents fell asleep rather fast.

"You remember right after we had Isabelle and Rowan?" Stanley asked his wife. He and Mimi had been new at the parenting thing, and it had been really hard to deal with sleepless nights.

Mimi nodded. "We had no clue what we were doing. I still can't believe we ended up having eight more. I'm glad we did, though." She didn't regret having ten children. That had never been a regret of hers.

"We messed up so much in those early days," Stanley remembered. He and Mimi had been so worried about messing up the girls, but all of them had grown up to be really good and nice. They had heard every single story Stanley and Mimi remembered of Bonnie.

Stanley and Mimi couldn't wait for more grandchildren. They would get them soon enough.

XXXXXX

Jacob Green was nervous. He really hoped that tonight went well. Jacob was taking Isabelle out to eat at the restaurant that they always went to. "I can do this," he whispered to himself.

"Are you talking to yourself?" questioned an amused Isabelle, coming up behind her boyfriend. Jacob nearly jumped, but managed to stay calm. He was proud of himself for that.

"No," he lied. Jacob wasn't about to admit that he was freaking out and wasn't sure what Isabelle's answer was going to be.

"So what are you going to order?" Isabelle knew what she was getting. She and Jacob had tried every single item on the menu, and switched their doers around sometimes. It was a really funny.

Jacob shrugged. If he ate, he would potentially throw up. That was not something he wanted right now. It wouldn't be good at all. "I'm not sure what I'm going to get, Belle."

Isabelle smiled. "I'm getting steak and French fries," she explained. Isabelle was in the mood for steak and fries right now, and she wasn't about to not listen to cravings.

Tonight could potentially change Johnston Jacob Green III and Isabelle Richmond's lives forever.

TBC


	38. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

Isabelle Richmond wasn't expecting to be proposed to. That's why she was so surprised when Jacob got down on one knee. "What are you doing, Jacob?" the shocked woman asked.

"I'm proposing, Belle. Marry me, please," Jacob replied. He didn't want to go for a traditional proposal. That was boring and cliché.

Isabelle was struggling not cry. She really hadn't been expecting a proposal this early. "Okay," she agreed happily.

Jacob smiled and slipped the engagement ring on her finger. "I love you, Isabelle Richmond."

The crying Isabelle struggled to get the words out. It was hard to talk when you were trying not to cry. "I love you too, Johnston Jacob Green III."

Jacob and Isabelle quickly bolted to their bedroom. They had been in the middle of dinner when Jacob had decided to just propose right there and then. The original plan was to wait until after dinner.

Their lives were about to get better.

The next day, Isabelle and Jacob happily began to announce the news of their engagements. Both were excited about the fact that they were going to get married.

"I'm happy for you," Darcy Hawkins told them. She had been visiting with Jake and Heather when Isabelle had bolted through the door to tell the two.

"Thanks," Isabelle replied. She really liked Darcy. Darcy was really nice to her and Jacob.

"I'm so glad you're going to be my daughter-in-law," Jake said to Isabelle. Isabelle was the perfect person for Jacob.

"I love that you're going to be my stepdaughter-in-law," Heather informed Isabelle. She got up from her chair and hugged each one for a few minutes.

"I don't want a big wedding," Isabelle explained. She loved Rowan and David's plan to elope, but Isabelle was pretty sure that her parents would be angry if she eloped too.

"I think it's a big wedding with just your family members," Jacob pointed out. He had a feeling that all of Isabelle's sisters would end up being bridesmaids. Maybe his sisters would too. Wow, they both had big families.

"You're right about that," Isabelle conceded. She really couldn't have a small wedding. Jacob would probably want a short engagement.

"When do you think we should have the wedding?" Jacob questioned. He didn't want to be in engagement limbo.

"It's too early to be thinking about this," Heather told them. They had just gotten engaged the night before.

"When should we start planning?" Jacob asked. He didn't know how to plan a wedding. Besides being a guy, he had been young when his father had married Heather and his mother had married Donovan.

Isabelle shrugged. "We could go talk to my mom. I know she'll be excited. Let's go!" She had been a little bit enthusiastic since getting engaged, and everyone saw the change in her.

"Let's go," Jacob agreed. He shot Darcy, Jake, and Heather a desperate look, but they just laughed. Jacob followed his new fiancé (How cool was it to say that?) out the door.

They arrived at Stanley and Mimi's farm only a little while later. Isabelle was just bursting to announce the news. "I'm engaged!" she cried to her parents.

Mimi squealed. "This is the best news since Ally was born!" she cried excitedly. A lot of good things had been occurring for the Richmonds lately.

"I'm going to be Mrs. Isabelle Richmond-Green! Or Mrs. Isabelle Green! I don't know yet!" Isabelle cried. She began jumping up and down. Jacob shot a panicked look towards Stanley, but Stanley was busy trying to hug his daughter.

"You need to treat her the right way," Stanley warned Jacob. He had known Jacob all of his life, but he still needed to say it. Stanley had also forgotten to say that to David, so he had to make up for it somehow.

"I will," Jacob promised. He would spend the rest of his life making Isabelle happy. Jacob just loved her so much. He always had.

"We need to go see your mom and Donovan now," Isabelle reminded her fiancée. That was so fun to say. She couldn't wait to call Jacob her husband.

"We should get going," Jacob told his future in-laws. This time, Isabelle followed him out the door. The only bad things about having parents that weren't together was that you had to tell so many people about important events in life.

"Bye," Isabelle called to her parents as she bolted out the door. She beat Jacob to the car, however. Isabelle had run because she was so excited.

They got to Emily and Donovan's house about ten minutes later. "I figured you would say yes," a happy Emily said to Isabelle when she and Jacob walked through the door.

"How could I not say no? Jacob and I have been together for a long time," Isabelle explained to her future mother-in-law.

"How many stops have you made today?" Donovan asked his stepson and Isabelle. He knew that they probably had to tell a lot of people, especially since there were so many Richmonds.

"Two already," Jacob replied. He didn't know how many more stops they would have to do today. They had a lot of friends. And siblings, too. Between Jacob's seven half-siblings and Isabelle's nine sisters, that was a lot of people to cover.

"I do not envy telling your siblings," Donovan commented. There would be a whole lot of screaming going on with that. Except for Dylan. Dylan still did boy stuff, despite being surrounded by women.

"This is going to take forever," Jacob whined. The Richmond girls were spread out today, considering it was the weekend, and his siblings were at their friends' house or in town.

"Deal with it," Isabelle told him. She couldn't wait to tell her sisters. Telling Jacob's siblings would be fun too.

The two headed for _Gracie's Market _a few minutes later. They knew that Rhiannon would be there since she worked part-time as a cashier.

Today was going to be a long day.

XXXXXXX

Three weeks later, Isabelle and Jacob were knee deep in wedding plans. They _had _decided to go for a short engagement, planning for the wedding to occur in a few months.

"I can't believe my son's this close to get married," Jake mused to his wife. He was getting old. How had time passed so quickly?

"He's growing up," Heather replied. She still remembered the day that Jake and Emily had brought the little boy home from the hospital. Jacob had been so tiny then. Why was she getting so nostalgic? The wedding hadn't happened yet.

"I still remember those sleepless nights right after he was born." Jake remembered bringing Jacob home clearly. He had stayed with Emily for a few days just to get used to his son. Heather had been living in her apartment at that time.

"He cried a lot," Heather answered. In the first few months of Jacob's life, he had suffered from colic. Afterwards, he had been a fussy baby. After he hit eleven months, his attitude had suddenly changed.

"I think I remember Emily distinctly handing the baby over to you and taking a ten hour nap." That had been the first day that Heather had been alone with the baby. Jake had to work that day, and couldn't take off. He had asked Heather to help with the baby. Gail had been sick with the flu, and had been unable to care for Jacob. That had been a crash course in parenting for Heather, who had been pregnant with Abigail at the time. She hadn't known at that point about her pregnancy yet.

"You took good care of him then," Jake told her. He remembered coming home to find Heather and Jacob napping together. He had taken a picture.

"It was good practice," Heather agreed. She hadn't been freaked out about taking care of Abigail because of helping out with Jacob.

"Time has passed so fast." Jake couldn't believe that his baby boy was growing up. He missed his son being so young. It had been so much fun to take care of babies and little kids.

Jake and Heather decided to dive into their home movies again, to remember the good times. They loved taking out the home movies. It was fun to see what they had been like back then.

The Greens and Richmonds were about to be connected for good in a few months.

TBC


	39. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

**Isabelle and Jacob's Wedding Day – Five Hours Before The Wedding**

"I'm going to be Mrs. Isabelle Richmond-Green in five hours," an excited Isabelle told Rowan, who placed Ally in her stroller.

"Congratulations, sis," Rowan replied. She was the matron-of-honor. It was only fair, considering that Rowan and Isabelle were twins. The rest of the Richmond sisters were bridesmaids. Jacob's sisters were also bridesmaids, so the wedding party was huge.

"My life is going to be changed forever." Isabelle couldn't wait to marry Jacob. Today was going to be one of the happiest days of her life.

"It's not any different than what you have now," Keely pointed out to her older sister. Isabelle glared at her, but Keely was sticking to her story. Isabelle and Jacob would be getting married, but they were already living together and paying bills.

"It's her wedding day. Don't bother your sister," Mimi hissed to her third daughter. She knew how crazy brides got on their wedding day. She hadn't been panicked at her own wedding because she and Stanley had committed to each other by Bonnie's grave a few weeks beforehand.

She knew how crazy brides got on their wedding day. She hadn't been panicked at her own wedding because she and Stanley had committed to each other by Bonnie's grave a few weeks beforehand.

"I can't believe my little boy's getting married," Emily wailed suddenly, startling everyone in the room. Emily had been emotional for days, and everyone knew why. They were all walking on eggshells around her.

"The wedding's going to be over soon," Heather assured her. She was ready to cry herself, but figured she could wait until the actual ceremony. Stupid weddings and her emotional ties to Jacob and Isabelle.

"I think we're going to wait awhile for a baby," Isabelle told Rowan, lost in a conversation with her twin sister. She and Jacob weren't ready to have kids yet, although they both adored Ally.

"That is a good choice," Rowan conceded. Although she and David loved Ally, they both would have loved to wait a few more years. But they were happy to be parents. Ally was such a good baby now, and she was a person that Rowan loved coming home to.

"Your father and I planned every one of my pregnancies," Mimi explained to Isabelle. There had be no accidents for the Richmonds. Stanley and Mimi were actually proud of that.

"I still can't believe you did," Danielle commented. She was planning on having four kids eventually, but that was it. She didn't want a huge family. The only Richmond child that seemed to actually want a huge family was Analise, and that was because she was one of the youngest kids.

"Your father and I love all of you. We didn't mind that we were in diapers forever," Mimi replied. She wouldn't trade her family for anything.

"I loved being pregnant, except for the morning sickness and labor," Heather said. She had experienced bad morning sickness for three out of her four pregnancies. She had actually ended up in the hospital for dehydration during her pregnancy with Gillian.

"Can we stop talking about baby and pregnancies?" snapped Isabelle. She was getting married in a few hours and everyone was talking about things that were in the future.

"Sorry," Mimi apologized. She knew how testy brides were too. Mimi was surprised that there hadn't been a crisis yet. Maybe she would come to regret that statement later. Hopefully, she wouldn't.

Isabelle may have been extremely nervous, but it was an entirely different story for Jacob.

XXXXXXXX

"I'm going to be married in a few hours and it's going to be awesome," Jacob declared to the men in the room. Jake and Stanley exchanged a knowing look. Jacob was probably hiding behind a front.

"You'll be throwing up from nerves soon," Jake told his son. He really couldn't believe that his son's wedding day had finally arrived. He was having flashbacks to the day his son was born now. Stanley had once again warned his future son-in-law about taking care of Isabelle.

Jacob glared at his father. "I will not," he said. He was going to marry Isabelle, and life would be perfect. They would eventually have kids, but they weren't planning on that for another few years.

"Whatever you say, Kiddo." Jake knew how this went. Heather had been throwing up on their wedding day, but that had been because of her pregnancy.

"It's still hard to believe that my daughter is getting married," Stanley commented. Although Rowan was married and had a baby, it was still a shock to him. He had to experience eight more weddings too. Stanley was glad that Jake and Heather had agreed to pay for half of the wedding. He and Mimi were paying for the other half. Because of all that planning that had gone into Isabelle and Jacob's wedding, Keely had already declared that she would marry her future husband at City Hall just to spare all the aggravation.

"We're just getting really old," Robert Hawkins commented. He was in the wedding party for the sheer fact that there were tons of bridesmaids.

"You're older than us," Jake taunted. The Hawkins were a few years older than him and Stanley, something the boys teased Rob about.

"You're going to get older soon too," Rob taunted back. He loved making fun of Stanley and Jake. It was hilarious to watch their reactions.

"I'm still young," Jacob happily told them all. He loved being in his twenties. It was great. He and Isabelle still didn't like staying out too late, though. They got tired really early, and that wasn't fun at all.

"Oh, sure. Rub it in our faces," Jake replied. He could still remember being twenty-three. He had been a rebel at that age, however. Jake had spent most of his twenties getting into trouble, being in an off-on relationship with Emily, and lashing out at his father. He hated his twenties now. They really sucked compared to his thirties, where things had gotten worse for awhile before improving.

"Are you ready to walk down that aisle soon?" Stanley asked him. The wedding was still a few hours away, but it didn't hurt to ask.

Jacob nodded. "I'm ready to run down that aisle," he explained.

A few hours later, as he watched Isabelle walk down the aisle, Jacob reflected on the fact that this marriage was something he would never regret.

XXXXXXXX

At the reception, Jacob and Isabelle danced to a slow song. The music had been playing for hours. Most of the guests were at the open bar, getting drunk beyond belief. Jake was already drunk and had continually hit on Heather. Heather had laughed at her husband, but was now well on her way to getting drunk. It was obvious where those two would be heading after the reception.

"I love you, Mrs. Richmond-Green," Jacob whispered to his new wife as the song began to end. He couldn't believe he was finally married to her.

Isabelle tearfully smiled at him. "I love you too, Mr. Green." She knew that calling each other by their last names was cliché, but she didn't care. She was married to her best friend, the man she had loved her entire life. At the age of eleven, she had wondered where life would take her. Isabelle had always known that Jacob would be involved somehow. At the time, she hadn't known how exactly he would be involved.

"It was a nice wedding," Rowan said to Keely. Except for the younger Greens, Wilsons, and Richmonds, everyone else was drunk. Rowan was glad that she couldn't drink.

"It was pretty," Keely agreed. Despite the fact that she thought Isabelle and Jacob getting married wouldn't change anything, Keely was glad that it had occurred. Those two were meant for each other, and everybody knew it.

The Richmonds and Greens were now connected, and nothing would ever change that.

The next few years would pass by quickly for everyone, but nobody realized it at first.

TBC


	40. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything related to the show.

* * *

**September 20, 2036- Thirtieth Anniversary of The Bombs**

Jake Green was scheduled to give a speech today, just like had at every major anniversary of the bombs. He was actually getting sick of it, but it had been thirty years. That was so hard to believe. Time had passed so quickly in thirty years. Everything had changed.

"You'll give a great speech," Heather assured her husband. She was also having a hard time believing that it had been thirty years.

"You say that every time," Jake reminded his wife. Working on a new speech was hard. He didn't want to repeat what he had said in previous years.

"Thirty years is a long time. A lot has changed since then. Work with that," Heather encouraged. The thirty-fifth anniversary of September 11th, 2001 had just occurred, and there had been a lot of memorial services for that too. It had been an emotional month for everyone in America.

"I will," Jake replied. He could work with that. He couldn't wait to see his grandchildren at the memorial service. Even though he had seen them yesterday, Jake loved helping out with his grandkids.

"Today's going to be long day," Heather murmured to herself before heading to her and Jake's bathroom for a shower. She had woken up with a headache, which had been blamed on the stress of the last few days.

She was right about it being a long day.

XXXXXX

Stanley and Mimi Richmond headed for the car. Susannah, Lilah, and Piper followed them. The three fifteen years old were planning on going over to visit friends after everything was over. Seventeen years old Eden and Analise were already with friends. The Richmonds were heading to the church early for the memorial service so they could get seats. Five of their kids were out of the house, but that didn't mean that they weren't sitting with their parents.

"Today's a really sad day," Lilah observed. Her sisters rolled their eyes at her. Lilah always loved stating the obvious.

"I met your father before the bombs went off," Mimi told them. She had already told this story several times, but no one cared. They thought the story of how their parents got together romantic. Stanley thought it was just opposites attracting. Mimi tended to agree with him.

"Can we not hear the story today?" Piper questioned. She loved the story of how her parents had met, but Piper didn't want to hear it today. She just wanted today to be over with.

"Of course," Mimi replied. She knew one of her girls would get sick of the story eventually. She just hadn't expected it to be today.

"It's a big day," Stanley reminded his three daughters. He didn't even know how he was standing upright right now. This was the anniversary of the day that everyone's life had changed. Six months after this date, Johnston Green had died. A few weeks later, Bonnie had followed. He still missed Bonnie deeply. He saw her in his daughters and grandchildren.

"We know," Susannah replied. She didn't like to think about the lives that had been lost on that horrible day in 2006. It hurt to think about, even though she hadn't been alive then.

Maybe today would get better, but everyone doubted it. Sadness permeated the area of Jericho and everywhere else in the United States on September 20th every year.

XXXXXX

An eight months pregnant Isabelle Richmond-Green strapped fourteen month old daughter Bonnie Avery Green into her stroller. Twin brother Johnston Jacob Green IV (or Jack, as he was nicknamed) was already in the other part of the double stroller. Isabelle and Jacob had waited a few years after their wedding to have a baby. Twins had been a surprise, but not that much of a shock, considering that Isabelle was a twin herself. "Mama!" Jack cried.

Isabelle smiled at her son. "Mama is busy right now," she explained. Isabelle still had to get snacks ready for herself, Bonnie, and Jack. The twins loved to eat, and so did Isabelle at this point into her pregnancy. Baby number three was the final baby. She and Jacob had agreed. Three kids, especially three babies under the age of two, were enough.

"I'll get the food ready!" Jacob called to his wife. He didn't want Isabelle to exert herself too much. She was nearing the end of her pregnancy, and needed to rest. Resting was hard with toddler twins, but Isabelle managed to do it. The three sets of grandparents helped out a lot with baby-sitting.

"Thank you!" Isabelle called back. Sometimes it was still hard to believe that she was a mother. It seemed like just yesterday she had fallen in love with Jacob Green.

The Green-Richmond was going to be completed once baby number three was born, and that was a good thing.

However, today was not a good day. Everyone knew that. They had dreaded this day for weeks. Isabelle herself didn't want to go anywhere when her hormones were driving friends and relatives crazy. She would be crying more than usual at the memorial service today.

XXXXXXX

Mary and Eric Green were already at the church. Their kids had left Kansas, choosing to help out elsewhere. "I can't believe it's been thirty-five years," Mary whispered.

"It seems like Jake was just coming home and he and Dad fought," Eric whispered back. He and Jake hadn't been close then, something Eric still regretted.

"You were being a jerk to him," Mary pointed out. Eric and Jake's relationship hadn't been very good at that point in time. Now, they were like best friends. It was nice, and Mary was happy for them.

"I was," Eric agreed. He really wished he hadn't treated his older brother like that. Jake had just been floundering and unsure of what to do. He hadn't found his purpose in his life yet, but no one had known that yet. Eric and Mary smiled as Jake and Heather entered the church and sat down next to them.

"Hey, little bro," Jake whispered. He loved how close he had become to Eric in thirty-five years. Their relationship had changed for the best, and that was a really good thing.

Mimi, Stanley, and their five kids came into the church. Analise and Eden had met up with their parents as soon as they had parked. The Richmonds sat down next to the Greens.

Everyone was family, and they needed to be together today.

XXXXXXX

Later that night, the Greens, Richmonds, and Wilsons retreated to Jake and Heather's house to reminisce about the past thirty-five years. Everyone had had changes affect their lives.

"I didn't regret giving our relationship another chance," Emily told Jake. She had gotten Jacob out of the end of their relationship, and she would never regret that.

"Me too, Em," Jake admitted. Jacob was his first son, and Jake loved Emily for giving birth to him.

"You pushed us together," Heather reminded Emily. She was grateful for Emily for forcing her to admit that she had feelings for Jake.

"I'm happy about that," Jake replied. He leaned over and kissed his wife. He loved Heather so much, and couldn't imagine not being married to her.

Thirty-five years in a person's life changed them. Some of the changes had been great, others had been bad. Experiencing these changes had shaped the people they were today.

On the day that had changed the world forever, several people in a small town had been brought together by tragedy. Nothing would change that.

Most Americans had survived those first horrible six months after the bombs. Winter had been hard, but they had made it.

They had survived the Second Civil War. It had been tough to bring down the Allied States of America, but it had happened.

Everything had improved after the war.

**Storylines Cut Out:**

**1) Mimi and Stanley were supposed to have 14-17 daughters. I also cut out a son in another version.**

** 2) Heather was supposed to be pregnant with another man's baby when she and Jake got together. But I figured that there was already  
****too many pregnancies at the beginning of the story.**

**3) One of the girls was going to miscarry, but Emily had a stillborn daughter instead.**

**4) Someone was going to get cancer, but it was too close to the end of the story.**

**5) Jake was going to be mayor, but I couldn't figure out how to work it into the story.**

**6) Jake was going to be diagnosed with clinical depression after Johnston's death, but there was already too much happening.**


End file.
